May news item
General Motors Europe's Ruesselsheim plant could add a third shift starting in
2010, said Klaus Franz, head of GM Europe's workers union.
He said the extra workers would be needed to produce the upper-medium
Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, medium-premium Saab 9-5 and lower-premium Saab 9-3.
A third shift would be good news for GM Europe's underutilized R sselsheim
factory. Last year, capacity use at Opel's home plant was 57.8 percent,
according to figures from consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers. The plant made
125,936 cars in 2007, well below it current annual capacity of 218,000.
"The problem we have with the R sselsheim plant is regarding volume, but we are
starting with the Insignia soon and we think that after the summer vacation
growth will be very aggressive, " Franz told Automotive News Europe. "Maybe in
the middle of 2010 when all the models are in there, we will increase from two
shifts to three shifts and we will hire the 800 new people we need."
Franz said the factory would be able to produce 293,000 vehicles a year with
extra shifts.
He said the union has a contract with the company to make three variants of the
Insignia, a hatchback, sedan and station wagon, and three Saab models: sedan
and hatchback versions of the 9-5 and the 9-3.
There has been media speculation that the new Saab 9-3 could be built on GM's
Delta platform - which underpins the lower-medium Astra.
Such a decision could mean that 9-3 production would be kept at Saab's main
factory in Trollhttan, Sweden, rather than move to R sselsheim.
Franz denied the rumors. He said the 9-3 is needed to meet a production goal of
275,000 units promised by GM in 2004.
Same Epsilon platform
"We are absolutely confident that R sselsheim will be filled, " Franz said. "The
capacity will be filled with another model or extra Insignia."
Franz has previously offered to produce Chevrolet Epicas, which share the same
Epsilon platform as the Insignia.
"With Saab and Insignia we have the work force in place for 293,000, so we can
produce Chevrolets for the cost of the materials, " he said. "This is cheaper
than China."
Andreas Kroemer, spokesman for GM Europe, said R sselsheim will make the
Insignia in several versions and produce Saabs. He declined to reveal which
Saabs.
Earlier this month, a GM insider told ANE sister publication Automobilwoche Ruesselsheim will begin making the next Saab 9-5 after the 2009 summer break.
Copyright © 2008 Crain Communications Inc.
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Topic: GM Europe's Ruesselsheim plant (Read 667 times)