benyl
11-04-2005, 04:36 PM
By Josee Valcourt / The Detroit News
General Motors Corp. will add a third production shift in January 2006 at its Wilmington, Del., plant to meet growing demand for the Pontiac Solstice and build two additional roadsters.
GM said about 550 idled workers will be recalled to staff the third shift, boosting hourly employment at the plant to about 1,750.
More than 15,000 orders for the Solstice roadster have been received to date, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. The car went on sale in August.
GM, which had planned to build between 15,000 and 17,000 2006 model-year Solstices, plans to increase production of the vehicle by 3,000 to 5,000 more with the extra shift.
GM is also expecting strong demand for the Saturn Sky and a new Opel roadster, which are scheduled to go into production at the plant next year.
With all three models, the plant is expected to produce roughly 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles a year, Flores said.
However, the additional production won't push plant output to maximum capacity.
More than 200,000 units can be produced annually at the factory, said Catherine Madden, production analyst for Global Insight Inc.
"They are going to keep the Solstice under 25,000 units a year," Madden said. "It's a very successful product, but its low volume, so it won't change GM's fortune."GM discontinued output of the Saturn L series in Wilmington in June 2004. The plant hasn't operated on three shifts since the 1980s, Flores said.
Sky output is expected to begin during the first half of 2006 while the Opel, which will be sold in Europe, will be added to the line in the second half of next year, he said.
Even as GM boosts output at the Wilmington plant, the automaker is saddled with too many North American assembly plants and is expected to identify factories to be closed by year-end.
You can reach Josee Valcourt at (313) 222-2300 or [email protected].
http://www.detnews.com/pix/2005/11/03/biz/b003-solstice-1105n_11-03-2005_SA9GESS.jpg
General Motors Corp. will add a third production shift in January 2006 at its Wilmington, Del., plant to meet growing demand for the Pontiac Solstice and build two additional roadsters.
GM said about 550 idled workers will be recalled to staff the third shift, boosting hourly employment at the plant to about 1,750.
More than 15,000 orders for the Solstice roadster have been received to date, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. The car went on sale in August.
GM, which had planned to build between 15,000 and 17,000 2006 model-year Solstices, plans to increase production of the vehicle by 3,000 to 5,000 more with the extra shift.
GM is also expecting strong demand for the Saturn Sky and a new Opel roadster, which are scheduled to go into production at the plant next year.
With all three models, the plant is expected to produce roughly 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles a year, Flores said.
However, the additional production won't push plant output to maximum capacity.
More than 200,000 units can be produced annually at the factory, said Catherine Madden, production analyst for Global Insight Inc.
"They are going to keep the Solstice under 25,000 units a year," Madden said. "It's a very successful product, but its low volume, so it won't change GM's fortune."GM discontinued output of the Saturn L series in Wilmington in June 2004. The plant hasn't operated on three shifts since the 1980s, Flores said.
Sky output is expected to begin during the first half of 2006 while the Opel, which will be sold in Europe, will be added to the line in the second half of next year, he said.
Even as GM boosts output at the Wilmington plant, the automaker is saddled with too many North American assembly plants and is expected to identify factories to be closed by year-end.
You can reach Josee Valcourt at (313) 222-2300 or [email protected].
http://www.detnews.com/pix/2005/11/03/biz/b003-solstice-1105n_11-03-2005_SA9GESS.jpg