General Motors has confirmed rumors that it plans to close many of its North American assembly plants in a bid to save much-needed cash, to align production with dramatically decreased demand and to prevent an unplanned production stoppage due to a dispute with Delphi. The automaker will temporarily stop production at 13 plants in the United States and Mexico to cut production by 190,000 vehicles.
The plant idlings range from one to nine weeks and will begin as early as May 4.
GM and Delphi have been unsuccessfully negotiating over the parts supplier’s bankruptcy and the automaker says that there were legitimate concerns over the continued supply of certain parts.
GM says it will shut down the following U.S. plants: Arlington, Texas (eight weeks beginning May 11); Bowling Green, Kentucky (one week beginning July 13); Detroit-Hamtramck (all of June); Fairfax, Kansas (one week beginning June 29); Flint, Michigan (eight weeks beginning May11); Ft. Wayne, Indiana (nine weeks beginning May 11); Lansing, Michigan (four weeks beginning May 4); Lordstown, Ohio (three weeks beginning June 1); Pontiac, Michigan (six weeks beginning June 1); Shreveport, Louisiana (three weeks beginning June 15); Spring Hill, Tennessee (three weeks beginning June 8); Wilmington, Delaware (two weeks beginning June 15); and Wentzville, Missouri (three weeks beginning June 8).
The automaker’s Silao, Mexico, plant will shut down for seven weeks beginning May 18.
Last week, GM CEO Fritz Henderson said that the automaker would close some of its assembly plants, but the automaker has not announced locations yet.
