[KappaMan]

GM on the lookout for new designers
By AWKnowledge staff writer (SN)
14 February, 2005
Source: AWKnowledge
General Motors has lost a couple of its key designers recently as Tom Kearns and Franz von Holzhausen move on to greener pastures. Kearns, a man with 17 years of experience, has left the company to take over as chief designer at Kia's US operations. Von Holzhausen, one of the lead designers on the Pontiac Solstice and the recently revealed Saturn Sky roadster, will join Mazda in California.

Meanwhile, GM’s design chief Ed Welburn told Automotive News that the company plans to add 25 designers and 25 sculptors in its North American operations - a total increase of 10% from current employment levels. According to Welburn, the additional staff is needed to work on a large number of new projects. About 200 designers and 300 sculptors are already employed in the US.

http://www.awknowledge.com/WVMA/content.asp?contentid=33654

 

[brentil]

I wonder if he was unhappy with how things were going with GM. Maybe he felt they were stiffling his creative ability. Not really sure about that since he did do Solstice, Sky, and the SS designs which seem very popular. Maybe Mazda through exceoptionally large bags of money at him. Reminds me of a www.penny-arcade.com comic strip.

 

[KappaMan]

I wonder if he was unhappy with how things were going with GM. Maybe he felt they were stiffling his creative ability. Not really sure about that since he did do Solstice, Sky, and the SS designs which seem very popular. Maybe Mazda through exceoptionally large bags of money at him. Reminds me of a www.penny-arcade.com comic strip.

Or maybe he hated the Detroit area... I believe he's from CA.

 

[brentil]

Or maybe he hated the Detroit area... I believe he's from CA.

Yeah, that's very true too. If he's got family out there, that would be a real deciding factor.