I found a couple of articles that talk about the starting of 3rd shift at the plant and the re-hiring of 550 employees on Jan 9th. Thought you might be interested.
GM article - http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=20162
Wilmington Journal article:
550 laid-off workers to return to plant
GM's Newport facility adds third shift to meet sports car orders
Orders for the Pontiac Solstice have been better than expected.
By LULADEY B. TADESSE and PETER BOTHUM
The News Journal
11/03/2005
General Motors Corp. will bring back 550 laid-off workers to its Newport plant next year to ramp up production of the Pontiac Solstice and launch two new sports cars.
The plant will add a third shift beginning Jan. 9 to meet the better-than-expected orders for the Solstice. Most of the workers who will constitute the new overnight shift were let go in June 2004, when the plant discontinued the Saturn L-series.
"It's good to get back into a routine," said Tony Uniatowski, who came back to work in March and hopes to work the third shift next year. "If you have been laid off for nine months, you get a little lazy."
The returning employees already have started training for their new jobs. The company will not hire any new employees to help assemble the Solstice, said Dan Flores, GM spokesman.
The new shift is necessary to keep up with demand for the Solstice. The company has received 15,000 orders, just months after production began this summer.
"Adding a third shift is somewhat reasonable because the entire first year of Solstices is sold," said Guido Vildozo, automotive market analyst at Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. "Some dealers are taking orders for vehicle deliveries for next August and September."
The demand bodes well for the plant's future, which is staked to low-volume sports cars, including the Saturn Sky and Opel Roadster. The Saturn Sky is expected to be in dealerships by April. And the Opel, which will be exported to Europe, is due at the end of 2006.
Still, the Solstice, Sky and Opel are low-volume niche vehicles. The three will bring production to 60,000 vehicles a year. The plant has the capacity to produce 250,000 vehicles.
Despite the relatively low production, three shifts are needed because the cars are assembled differently than sedans, Flores said.
Once the third shift begins, the plant will be building more than 100 vehicles per day. It will employ about 1,900 workers, including 1,750 hourly and 150 salaried.
"It is hard to say at this point in time, how sustainable that heavy demand will be for that vehicle," said Vildozo of the Solstice. "It's a niche vehicle, and that can mean after 12 and 18 months after hitting the market sales can taper off or the vehicle can be a hit."
For now, Uniatowski is just glad to work. He hopes to work the third shift so he can spend more time his daughter.
"This way, we won't have to put her in camp this summer," Uniatowski said. "I will be home during the day."
Contact Luladey B. Tadesse at 324-2789 or [email protected]. Contact Peter Bothum at 324-2428 or [email protected].
GM article - http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=20162
Wilmington Journal article:
550 laid-off workers to return to plant
GM's Newport facility adds third shift to meet sports car orders
Orders for the Pontiac Solstice have been better than expected.
By LULADEY B. TADESSE and PETER BOTHUM
The News Journal
11/03/2005
General Motors Corp. will bring back 550 laid-off workers to its Newport plant next year to ramp up production of the Pontiac Solstice and launch two new sports cars.
The plant will add a third shift beginning Jan. 9 to meet the better-than-expected orders for the Solstice. Most of the workers who will constitute the new overnight shift were let go in June 2004, when the plant discontinued the Saturn L-series.
"It's good to get back into a routine," said Tony Uniatowski, who came back to work in March and hopes to work the third shift next year. "If you have been laid off for nine months, you get a little lazy."
The returning employees already have started training for their new jobs. The company will not hire any new employees to help assemble the Solstice, said Dan Flores, GM spokesman.
The new shift is necessary to keep up with demand for the Solstice. The company has received 15,000 orders, just months after production began this summer.
"Adding a third shift is somewhat reasonable because the entire first year of Solstices is sold," said Guido Vildozo, automotive market analyst at Global Insight in Lexington, Mass. "Some dealers are taking orders for vehicle deliveries for next August and September."
The demand bodes well for the plant's future, which is staked to low-volume sports cars, including the Saturn Sky and Opel Roadster. The Saturn Sky is expected to be in dealerships by April. And the Opel, which will be exported to Europe, is due at the end of 2006.
Still, the Solstice, Sky and Opel are low-volume niche vehicles. The three will bring production to 60,000 vehicles a year. The plant has the capacity to produce 250,000 vehicles.
Despite the relatively low production, three shifts are needed because the cars are assembled differently than sedans, Flores said.
Once the third shift begins, the plant will be building more than 100 vehicles per day. It will employ about 1,900 workers, including 1,750 hourly and 150 salaried.
"It is hard to say at this point in time, how sustainable that heavy demand will be for that vehicle," said Vildozo of the Solstice. "It's a niche vehicle, and that can mean after 12 and 18 months after hitting the market sales can taper off or the vehicle can be a hit."
For now, Uniatowski is just glad to work. He hopes to work the third shift so he can spend more time his daughter.
"This way, we won't have to put her in camp this summer," Uniatowski said. "I will be home during the day."
Contact Luladey B. Tadesse at 324-2789 or [email protected]. Contact Peter Bothum at 324-2428 or [email protected].
