GM plant's last day finalized
JANESVILLE — General Motors will end medium-duty truck production in Janesville on April 23, four months to the day after the plant stopped building full-size sport utility vehicles.
About 100 employees associated with the line learned of the layoffs Wednesday.
April will mark the end of vehicle production at the Janesville plant that traces its roots to 1919 and the Samson Model M tractor. Chevrolet production started in Janesville in 1923.
The Isuzu line and its employees build about 25 trucks four days a week. The cab-forward truck is commonly used as a delivery vehicle.
GM and Isuzu strengthened their partnership in 1994 with the launch of the NPR gas-powered trucks in Janesville. Two years later, GM and Isuzu started a separate project that put Isuzu-designed cabs on GM's medium-duty chassis. That line eventually moved from Janesville to Flint, Mich.
What remains in Janesville—at least until April 23—is the NPR "W" series. The truck is Isuzu designed and engineered except for its GM power train.
Wednesday's announcement has been expected for months.
GM said last June it would end local production of light-duty trucks—Suburbans, Tahoes and GMC Yukons—by the end of 2010 at the latest. It also said it would shut down the medium-duty Isuzu line sometime in 2009.
SUV production ended in Janesville on Dec. 23, a little more than five months after the plant lost a second shift of production.
More than 2,000 hourly and salaried GM workers were laid off as a result of the production cuts. Supplier companies laid off another 1,200 people.
GM spokesman Chris Lee said Wednesday that a handful of skilled trades employees will remain at the plant after shutdown of the Isuzu line.
Whether 100 employees are ultimately laid off remains to be seen. Earlier this month, GM offered all 62,000 of its hourly employees an attrition program that includes a cash payment of $20,000 and a $25,000 car voucher.
Workers have until March 24 to accept the offer and cut their ties to the automaker.
Lee said it's premature to speculate what will happen to the 4.8 million-square-foot plant that sits on 250 acres on Janesville's south side.
But if the past is any indication, GM has established a pattern for its non-production plants.
GM likely will deploy what it calls a "reuse team" to Janesville to assess everything in the plant. Equipment that can be salvaged for use in other plants will be saved. Equipment GM doesn't want will find its way to auction.
GM also is likely to launch concurrent surveys of the plant's environmental status and any possible reuses for the property. Such studies could take six months to a year.
The environmental assessment will include soil and groundwater testing, and if a cleanup is necessary, GM will develop a plan in conjunction with state and federal environmental agencies.
In the meantime, GM likely will try to market the property. A real estate development company likely will be hired to determine possible uses and values.
A local task force, however, hopes that can all be avoided. The group is lobbying the automaker to award Janesville a different product.
The group met with GM officials last fall but has been held at bay while the automaker tries to sort out its massive financial problems.
Sep 4, 2012 at 11:07 p.m.
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"the main line that had 2,000 employees assembled the last vehicle in December BEFORE Obama became President."
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And? Who claimed the main line was open after it announced it was stopping production? The problem the left fringe has is ignoring the words stated and pretending there was other words inferred. Pretty scarryyyyyy
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:17 p.m.
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yes, we know MGD Joker. but,when the media wants to prove a point, they have access to everything!!!
Sep 4, 2012 at 5:49 p.m.
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I'm glad everyone can read. This article is from 2009.
Sep 4, 2012 at 3:57 p.m.
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Janevillean......try your hardest not to be stupid(if at all possible). It's an auto ASSEMBLY plant. Is it that hard of a stretch to comprehend that if there is a line running where vehicles are being ASSEMBLED by GM employees, that the plant could be considered open? That is the reason behind an assembly plant....no?
Sep 4, 2012 at 3:18 p.m.
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Well, since the place employs security guards, groundskeepers, and other maintenance services such as electricians, I guess the plant is actually STILL OPEN. Wow! Who knew?
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:54 p.m.
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laborparty, perhaps before you spread false truths about people you should get your facts straight! Never seen a "Dohner Trucking" anywhere around, and I live in Edgerton??? Plus they've all been known to do lit drops ect for the area Dem. candidates. Get off the soap box and move on like everyone else has done. I'll tip my glass of wine to ya, so you can stop.
Sep 4, 2012 at 1:05 p.m.
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I see the right wing fringe are grasping at straws. Not surprising.
Sep 4, 2012 at 10:32 a.m.
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??????????????? 100 employees will not or cannot pay to the local governments the same amount of taxes that 7,800 employees can. what dont you understand about that?the main line that had 2,000 employees assembled the last vehicle in December BEFORE Obama became President. GM mangement did not declare that day to shut down production in Janesville,like Bishop's Cafeteria that was in the Janesville Mall did.came into work and a sign on the door said "Closed"
GM Management decided to shut down Janesville far before December 2008 !!!
Sep 4, 2012 at 9:11 a.m.
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So now it comes down to the number of souls? So much for pretending to be from the party of the working man, where all are respected and counted.
The fact the obamaites want to only count some people and not others, wait what was that about suppression...oh yeah, that only matters when they want it to.
Sep 4, 2012 at 8:58 a.m.
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how can people forget the 7,800 souls that used to work at GM-Janesville??? 1960ish and now being picky-picky about 100 people being employed from when Bush was still President until Obama became President .....i would HUMBLY suggest the buying power of 100 employees does not even come close to the buying power of 7,800 employees.. let alone the 2,000 employees that were unemployed during Bush's last year in office. Sheeesh !!!
Sep 4, 2012 at 8:21 a.m.
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Dems caught in their own lie. Did mouse seriously say the plant was still open because it has a security officer making rounds?
They are losing it!!!!!
Sep 4, 2012 at 8:02 a.m.
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Why oh why are the fringe left ignoring facts? "GM plant in Janesville closing for good this week, By The Associated Press April 19, 2009"
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/4...
Sep 1, 2012 at 12:27 p.m.
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brotherkoch......then what the heck are Romney & Ryan attacking Obama about a closed plant????? they spreading enough lies already !!!!!! ......You can tell when a Republican is lying, his lips are moving !!!!!
Sep 1, 2012 at 9:17 a.m.
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.but but, there still are security and maintenance people that go to the plant....that means it's still open today!
Aug 31, 2012 at 8:45 a.m.
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The problem is that the GM workers that are still not working took advantage of the extended unemployment holding out for a better deal somewhere or just taking advantage of the extensions and now still cant find work and are crying foul. That my friends is what is wrong with entitlement programs. Move on with your life become productive take responsiblity for yourselves. Entitlements were created to help in times of need not become a lifestyle and then boo hoo and blame everyone else. 3 years ago you could have went back to school on GM's dime and today you would be in a better place.
Aug 30, 2012 at 11:45 p.m.
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First I cant believe I'm leaving a comment to a 3 year old story.. Second. To gwendt and laborparty.. WHAT???? Even if what either one of you said made a lick of sense I'd still say "move on with your lives"
Aug 30, 2012 at 5:31 p.m.
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Leave it to the Republicans thinking that 100 autoworkers can keep the financial status of 2,000 autoworkers to keep a city going as before !!!! they must think autoworkers make a million dollars a month !!! or whoever is in the plant working splits the total output of WHAT the plant produced at their peak...... i was just a lowly autoworker working 12 hours a day sometimes, nothing near the 400 times CEO pay over a workers pay.
Feb 21, 2009 at midnight
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Unless the orders get cancelled, then they could be done before the 23rd.
Feb 20, 2009 at 9:50 a.m.
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Local boy, you need to trust me and my sources.
Feb 20, 2009 at 9:34 a.m.
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TheJoker, these workers will not be done before 4/23. They have firm orders for the trucks until 4/23. They can't be done before then. You got to stop smoking the happy hay when you quote your sources....
Feb 20, 2009 at 8:43 a.m.
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Oops, the paste button misfired...(see LaHood's genius proposal)
Feb 20, 2009 at 8:39 a.m.
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Just a Machiavellian (sp?) move to make a national toll system more palatable.
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But thanks for another "stimulas."
Feb 20, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.
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rep of 1 - truer words have never been posted (except by me last year).
Feb 19, 2009 at 8:47 p.m.
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On Janesville JCPenney to stay open
Posted on December 9 at 11:57 a.m. by THEJOKER ( Suggest removal )
Ok Localboy, as usual you go on the negative. Regarding GM Isuzu, check the date. It is not January 1st, 2009. So I have not been proven wrong.
The above statement tells me you said Isuzu would close before January 1st, 2009
Feb 19, 2009 at 3:51 p.m.
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You don't say?
Feb 19, 2009 at 2:25 p.m.
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Spark: I heard they are thinking about closing the plant!
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:49 a.m.
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GM is having problems?
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:21 a.m.
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Real estate company will be hired(cough, choke, laugh)...anything to do with demolition will include soil remediation. Expect that to be in the millions. GM will end up not selling it and owing huge back taxes and end up giving it to the city. The city of Janesville will have no money to do anything with it...another eyesore here we come.
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:18 a.m.
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Mr. Leute - please check your facts. The deadline for accepting the buyout is March 24th, not February 24th. The Gazette keeps reporting it incorrectly as February 24th.
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.
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City wants a big water park. Here you go. Even has brand new roads leading to the interstate.
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:12 a.m.
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Joker, I'm thinking that you retrofit your "predictions" to meet current information.
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.
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Snarly: LOL! Thank you for my first laugh of the day. I think somebody (don't ask me who) should take a serious look at the property as a possible site for a "solar farm".
Feb 19, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.
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Hate to admit it, but I was right once again. Many of these 100 workers will be done well before April 23rd. Sad but true.
Feb 19, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.
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Holy crap no one complaining yet.
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