General Motors Production Slowed as Winter Storm Closes Roads in Canada
By Craig Trudell - Dec 14, 2010 3:17 PM PT
General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., the two largest U.S. automakers, canceled or shortened shifts for at least seven vehicle assembly plants in Canada and the U.S. Midwest because of weather-related road closings.
For GM, based in Detroit, the stopped or abbreviated shifts affected production of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact sport-utility vehicles, the Chevrolet Impala sedan and Camaro coupe, the Cadillac CTS and STS sedans, and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
Ford halted production of its Ford Flex wagon, Edge, Explorer and Lincoln MKX SUVs, and Lincoln MKT and MKS sedans, Todd Nissen, a Ford spokesman, said in an e-mail.
Automakers record revenue when vehicles are assembled. So the loss of production may affect the companies’ fourth-quarter sales if the output isn’t recouped over the rest of the month.
The Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, which makes the STS and CTS models, closed earlier today because of a parts shortage caused by highway closings in Canada, said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman. He declined to specify the part.
Workers at GM’s assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, were sent home early during the day shift and the late shift today was canceled, said Jason Easton, a spokesman. GM shortened shifts at its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, starting yesterday, he said. The CAMI facility makes the Equinox and Terrain, and the Oshawa plant makes the Impala and Camaro.
GM, Ford Plants
GM’s Flint assembly, which makes light- and heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra pickups, dismissed workers early today and will adjust work schedules based on parts availability, said Tom Wickham, a spokesman.
Ford’s shutdowns occurred at Oakville Assembly and St. Thomas Assembly -- both in Ontario -- and the Chicago Assembly Plant. Nissen, the Ford spokesman, said production schedules for tomorrow are undetermined.
Lambton County in Ontario declared a state of emergency because of a winter storm yesterday, the Ontario Provincial Police said today in a statement on its website. Police are rescuing drivers from about 360 stranded vehicles on Highway 402, which crosses the border to Port Huron, Michigan, the police said.
Chrysler’s Canadian operations were unaffected by the storms, Mary Gauthier, a spokeswoman, said in a telephone interview.
Ron Lietzke, a spokesman for Honda Motor Co.’s U.S. manufacturing unit in Marysville, Ohio, said the company’s factories in Ohio, Indiana and Ontario have continued operating normally this week.
Toyota Motor Corp. has maintained regular production schedules at its plants in Kentucky, Indiana and Ontario this week, said Mike Goss, a spokesman for the company’s North American manufacturing unit based in Erlanger, Kentucky.
To contact the reporter on this story: Craig Trudell in Southfield, Michigan, at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net
