From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Janesville Assembly
Janesville Assembly
Production at the factory was halted during the Great
Depression for a short time and there was a famous sit-
down strike in 1937. The Janesville Assembly also pro-
duced artillery during World War II.[1]
The Janesville Assembly was until recently one of
three plants producing the GMT900 trucks, such as the
Chevrolet Suburban, and began building the next-gen-
eration short-wheelbase GMT900 trucks in January 2006.
It began producing long wheelbase GMT900 trucks in
March of that year and an overtime shift was added to
meet demand.[citation needed]
From 1994 until 2009, the plant also produced
medium-duty trucks for Isuzu under its partnership with
GM.[2]
The plant covers 4,800,000 ft³ (446,000 m³).[3] It em-
ployed around 7,000 workers at its peak in 1970, but was
down to about 1,200 at its closing in 2009.[4]
2008
Fuel prices, the related slow sales of SUVs, and the econ-
omy affected the Janesville plant. In April 2008, GM an-
nounced that the plant would cut back full-time produc-
tion to a single shift. Combined with an ongoing employ-
ee buy-out program, layoffs totaled around 750 jobs in Ju-
ly 2008.[5]
During GM’s 2008 annual shareholder meeting on
June 3, 2008, CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the
Janesville assembly plant would close by 2010, along with
three other GM factories, and could close sooner if the
market dictated.[6] The cutbacks announced, along with
other changes, were expected to save the North Ameri-
can division $1 billion per year starting in 2010.[7]
GM extended its annual summer shutdown an addi-
tional two weeks and planned another ten weeks of shut-
down for the remainder of 2008 because of excess inven-
tories of SUVs made at the plant.[8]
Janesville Assembly’s location in Wisconsin In June 2008, a study by Steven Deller, a University of
Wisconsin-Extension professor, indicated that the plant’s
Janesville Assembly Plant is an automobile factory closure could result in a ripple effect for the county.
owned by General Motors located in Janesville, Wiscon- Based on a number of estimates and 2007 employment
sin. Opened in 1919, it is the oldest-operating GM plant. data, his worst case scenario was the loss of 9,000 jobs
and nearly half a billion dollars of labor income in Rock
History County.[9]
In October 2008, GM announced Janesville Assembly
The factory was originally built to produce Samson trac- would be largely idled December 23, 2008 when produc-
tors. These failed to find buyers, so GM switched it to pro- tion of SUVs would end.[10] A skeleton crew continued to
ducing Chevrolet automobiles in 1923. It has produced work at Janesville Assembly through June, 2009, complet-
automobiles and pickup trucks over the years, but most ing the Janesville/Isuzu light truck contract.
recently built full-size SUVs.[1]
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Janesville Assembly
2010 http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/
283632. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
On January 13, 2010 GM put Janesville Assembly on stand- [6] "GM closing Janesville assembly plant". June 3,
by to produce new vehicles due to recent increase in de- 2008. http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/
mand for GM vehicles. stories/2008/06/02/daily9.html.
[7] General Motors Press Conference - Annual Meeting
See also of Stockholders. Rick Wagoner, General Motors
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Wilmington,
• List of GM factories Delaware. June 3, 2008.
[8] Janesville Gazette. Janesville GM plant targeted for
References downtime. June 24, 2008.
[9] Associated Press. Study: Janesville GM closing
[1] ^ "Can GM’s oldest plant survive latest cutbacks?". could result job loss of 9,000 June 21, 2008.
Detroit News. http://www.detnews.com/2005/ [10] The Capital Times. GM to close Janesville plant on
autosinsider/0506/14/0auto-215373.htm. Retrieved December 23 2008. October 13, 2008.
June 14, 2005. http://communicator.gm.com/socrates/newsnow/in-
[2] "ISUZU: GM-Isuzu Relations". Isuzu. dex.html?id=1306937481630.html
http://www.isuzu.co.jp/world/investor/fact/
gm.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[3] General Motors. Janesville Assembly fact sheet. External links
Accessed June 27, 2008. • Janesville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau -
[4] "State offered $195 million in failed bid for GM Janesville Assembly
plant". Wisconsin State Journal. July 7, 2009. Coordinates: 42°39′48″N 89°01′18″W / 42.663251°N
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/457514. 89.021745°W / 42.663251; -89.021745
Retrieved 2009-07-10.
[5] Barry Adams (April 29, 2008). "Janesville GM plant
cutting 750 jobs". Wisconsin State Journal.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Janesville_Assembly&oldid=456058934"
Categories:
• General Motors factories
• Motor vehicle assembly plants in Wisconsin
• Janesville, Wisconsin
• 1919 establishments in the United States
• 2009 disestablishments
• Buildings and structures in Rock County, Wisconsin
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