Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Report: GM, Ford slow production at seven plants due to Canadian storms]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/15/report-gm-ford-slow-production-at-seven-plants-due-to-canadian/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/15/report-gm-ford-slow-production-at-seven-plants-due-to-canadian/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/15/report-gm-ford-slow-production-at-seven-plants-due-to-canadian/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Flint Assembly Plant

If you think early winter weather is causing you headaches this season, you should hear what General Motors and Ford are putting up with. The companies have seen production slow in at least seven of their manufacturing facilities in Canada and the Midwest thanks to road closings. According to Bloomberg, The General was forced to either slow or stop production of at least eight models, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Camaro and Impala as well as the Cadillac CTS and STS. And Ford hasn't fared much better - the Blue Oval has brought production of at least six models to a stop.

Among the FoMoCo casualties of this week's winter wonderland? The Flex, Edge and Explorer, but work was also held up on the Lincoln MKT and MKS. Additionally, the slowdown may impact the automakers' fourth-quarter results, since most carmakers record their revenue when vehicles are assembled at the plant.

Interestingly enough, Chrysler, which operates facilities in Canada, has apparently not had to slow or stop production because of the weather. Likewise, the Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio is operating normally so far this season.

[Source: Bloomberg | Image: John Ehlke/AP /The Flint Journal]

Report: GM, Ford slow production at seven plants due to Canadian storms originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford plantsgeneral motorsgm plantswinterwinter weatherWed, 15 Dec 2010 16:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19763103/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/12/15/report-gm-ford-slow-production-at-seven-plants-due-to-canadian/19763103/article-detail.xml 19763103 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/flint-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/flint-630.jpg <![CDATA[St. Paul Ford Ranger plant to shut down for December]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

For the entire month of December, Ford's plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, where about 1,000 workers assemble the Ford Ranger, will shut down. According to reports, it is normal for the plant to be closed for the week of Christmas, but an additional three weeks of downtime is necessary to "align production with demand."

The plant had initially been scheduled to be shuttered sometime in 2008, but the recent upwards trend in small pickup sales prompted the Blue Oval to keep it open a bit longer and it currently has no specific date set for closure, though it's demise is currently rumored for sometime in 2011. Perhaps if Ford would actually do something to update its long-in-the-tooth Ranger truck, it wouldn't need to consider its death at all, but that's another story entirely.

[Source: Reuters]

St. Paul Ford Ranger plant to shut down for December originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford plantford plantsford rangerFordPlantFordPlantsFordRangerst paulst. paulst. paul minnesotaSt.PaulSt.PaulMinnesotaStPaulFri, 17 Oct 2008 08:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1344664/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/10/17/st-paul-ford-ranger-plant-to-shut-down-for-december/1344664/article-detail.xml 1344664 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/rangerfx4_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/rangerfx4_450.jpg <![CDATA[Ford shuffling production at four plants]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/ford-shuffling-production-at-four-plants/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/ford-shuffling-production-at-four-plants/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/03/ford-shuffling-production-at-four-plants/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Not that we're cutting Ford any slack, but the automaker's plan to shrink itself both in sales and size is a smart move. It will mean lower sales and lots of layoffs, but right now the market isn't buying a big Ford. So news today of the automaker shuffling some shifts and delaying the restart of a plant, while not welcome news for the 2,500 employees affected, is the right thing to do. The reorganization involves the Chicago and Louisville assembly plants, which will both reduce production to one shift starting in the summer. The Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Mercury Sable and upcoming Lincoln MKS are all built in Chicago, while the Louisville plant assembles the Explorer, Sport Trac and Mercury Mountaineer. Curiously, the reduction of shifts will not affect the number of each model produced. It will basically allow Ford to build the same number of vehicles with less resources, i.e. labor.

The other plants involved are Cleveland Engine Plant #1 and #2, which produce the 3.5L Duratec V6 and 3.0L, respectively. Engine Plant #2 will also switch to one shift this April, while Plant #1, which has been idle since May 2007, will not resume production this spring as intended, but rather sometime in Q4 of 2008. Fans of the 3.5L should not fret, however, as Ford's Lima, OH plant continues to churn out the big V6.

As for the 2,500 affected employees, Ford is reminding them that retirement and buyout packages are still on the table if they don't want to deal with all this down time anymore.

[Source: Ford, Photo by Scott Olson/Getty]

Continue reading Ford shuffling production at four plants

Ford shuffling production at four plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford factoriesford plant shiftsford plantsford productionFordFactoriesFordPlantsFordPlantShiftsFordProductionMon, 03 Mar 2008 17:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1129959/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/03/03/ford-shuffling-production-at-four-plants/1129959/article-detail.xml 1129959 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/secondshift_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/secondshift_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Ford to shed another 9,000 plant jobs]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-to-shed-another-9-000-plant-jobs/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-to-shed-another-9-000-plant-jobs/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-to-shed-another-9-000-plant-jobs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Over 2006 and 2007, Ford lost $15.3 billion. Over that same time and in light of those losses, the company also shed 33,600 union workers through buyouts and early retirement. Still working through the uphill part of the turnaround, Ford has announced it wants to eliminate another 8,000 to 9,000 factory jobs through buyouts.

If 8,000 workers end up leaving, that's almost 12 percent of Ford's current workforce walking out the door. They'll leave with benefits and a buyout that ranges from $50,000 to $70,000 depending on whether the position is a skilled trade. While it might seem like a lot of money, the point is that with the new labor agreement, Ford can hire new workers -- when the time comes -- for $26 to $31, instead of the $60-per-hour it pays now. The UAW figures the salary change could save Ford $1,000 per car.

Although 8,000 buyouts is Ford's target, the company is willing to accept more workers leaving. The offer has been extended to workers at four shuttered factories, and will be expanded next week to others. Those who don't want buyouts can be transferred to another factory. And if they don't accept the buyout or relocation, then they "will be placed on a 'no-pay, no-benefit leave,'" which sounds a lot less appealing than a 5-figure check.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Ford to shed another 9,000 plant jobs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buyoutsearly retirementEarlyRetirementfordford factoriesford plantsford restructuringford turnaroundFordFactoriesFordPlantsFordRestructuringFordTurnarounduawunionsMon, 11 Feb 2008 14:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1111939/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/02/11/ford-to-shed-another-9-000-plant-jobs/1111939/article-detail.xml 1111939 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/ford_buyouts_2008_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/ford_buyouts_2008.jpg -1 2