Mary Barra and Me, The closing of the GM Warren Transmission Plant

August 3, 2019 will be day that suburban Automation Alley starts to decline! General Motors the company that duped Flint,MI. Whining to the U.S. Government to bail them out is now closing their Warren Stamping Plant

Here is the report...

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...n-plant-closes


The GM Warren Plant just like any other plants along the Mound Rd. Industrial Strip that been around since the 1950s for cheap land and low regional taxation. Thus creating suburban sprawl, automation alley and the golden age of America Middle class. Now it's closing up laying off jobs and ship some Michigan families to any plant in middle of nowheresville!

General Motors needs to playing Roger Smith politics and start retooling their image.

By the way take a last look on the Warren Transmission Plant before that plant close its doors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ_bQAsMCtg

Can't wait for another Michael Moore documentary. Roger and Me 2, Mary Barra and me.

GM said the restructuring will save the company $2 billion this year and that the company wants to focus on electric and autonomous vehicles.

per the link posted by OP

China, the world's biggest car market, is working on an outright ban on gas-powered vehicles to combat air pollution and is ramping up efforts to build out electric driving infrastructure. France and the UK announced that new gas and diesel vehicles will be banned by 2040, and other countries like Norway and India have established their own goals for EV adoption. There hasn't been any talk of gas bans in the U.S., but there are efforts to promote electric and hybrid vehicles at the state level.

https://mashable.com/2017/10/03/elec...plans-ford-gm/

May 2014, eight states released an action plan detailing an agreement originally announced in 2013 to put 3.3 million zero-emission vehicles [[ZEVs) on the road by 2025. The plan—agreed to by California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont—calls for consumer incentives to promote ZEVs such as high-occupancy vehicle [[HOV) lane access and building additional charging stations. The plan also requires establishing rates for charging vehicles that are competitive with gasoline and supporting the adoption of public and private ZEV fleets. All states that signed the Memorandum of Understanding [[MOU) have undertaken programs that support the deployment of electric vehicles. For example, Vermont developed a Vermont Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan to identify strategies and actions that can facilitate achievement of the commitments outlined in the ZEV memorandum. In October 2016, California released an updated roadmap to achieving the goal of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on California roadways by 2025.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/energy/...ate-chart.aspx

Its kinda hard to place the full blame on the automakers but we are the ones actually forcing them to adapt,just as we did in the 70s and 80s with epa emissions restrictions.

NOT to bring politics into it but let’s be honest,if you are manufacturing anything that burns fossil fuel and see things like a massive new green deal implemented,the writing is on the wall as to your survival long term.

The politics,federal government and local governments will not say that you must give up your fossil fuel car today,they will just do the same thing as the insurance companies did in the 70s with performance cars.

They will make it a forced switch through regulations.

For long term survival the auto makers have no choice but to start the transition into the electric vehicles or go the way of the many companies that folded before them.

The vehicles still have to be built,what are WE doing in order to provide the training to the existing and future workforce that the automakers are going to need?

Or or are we just going to say the evil manufacturers suck because they are closing plants and laying off the work force?

If we are going to demand change,we also need to understand the impact of those consequences of demands and how it effects us as a whole.

The adverage tree hugger buying an electric car in order to save the planet, does not think about or even care about who and how it was put together.

To bring a little politics into it,the stronger the talk about the big corporations need to pay the way for free stuff,the more they are going to position in order to limit liability.

Connecticut implemented a hedge fund tax to shore up falling tax revenues and the companies just left the state,which lost billions.

Big corporations have to have a plan B for survival,we know what happens to cities when the money flees.

I would think that the states that are dependent on auto related jobs would be seriously looking at job training programs in order to fill the future needs,otherwise it will just be repeating history.

I'm not clear on how closing a stamping plant relates to the move to electric power trains or other restructuring moves. Body parts are still body parts unless there is a move to non-metallic bodies or three D printing production--neither ready for prime time. Parts is parts and they still need to be stamped for for the large part--here or in Mexico.

They’re not closing the stamping plant, they are closing the transmission plant.

Haven't owned a vehicle in years. Driving is a privilege according to the government. If it's not a right I don't need it nor want it. Save your money and ditch the cars..

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Originally Posted by Wheels

They’re not closing the stamping plant, they are closing the transmission plant.

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Hilarious...

Have not owned a NEW vehicle in years.

I say if you so desire, drive. If you don't, DO NOT. I drive and enjoy the option/ privilege.

Buying used allows me to save money on purchase!

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Originally Posted by Colombian Dan

Haven't owned a vehicle in years. Driving is a privilege according to the government. If it's not a right I don't need it nor want it. Save your money and ditch the cars..

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Someone on this forum said something along the lines of," Cars are made by idiots sold by thieves and bought by mental defectives". I know I butchered that quote but goddamnit it was spot on

^^^ Funny most of my cars have been the best for my budget [[per my choice of make/model), sold by mostly private owners, and well re. the mental part... No need to respond --:o--

Some folk here sure are anti-car!! Just don't buy one! Problem solved. One personal choice at a time. Hah!!

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Originally Posted by Wheels

They’re not closing the stamping plant, they are closing the transmission plant.

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Thanks. I have corrected to OP’s subject line.

That said the closing makes more sense as electric vehicles don’t need transmissions and electric is the new direction.

^^ Exactly !! Danny has his plants mixed up.

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Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

^^ Exactly !! Danny has his plants mixed up.

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The Transmission plant is next to Warren Stamping Plant. That is the one is closing.

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Originally Posted by Danny

The Transmission plant is next to Warren Stamping Plant. That is the one is closing.

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I already knew that, your video showed the stamping plant, not the transmission.

The GM Powertrain/Hydrnatic plant was originally a Navy ordinance plant built dring WWII and managed by the Hudson Motor Co. More in the OCF thread, starting on Jan 29th, 2006:

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...?1139522348#MB

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Originally Posted by Lowell

I'm not clear on how closing a stamping plant relates to the move to electric power trains or other restructuring moves. Body parts are still body parts unless there is a move to non-metallic bodies or three D printing production--neither ready for prime time. Parts is parts and they still need to be stamped for for the large part--here or in Mexico.

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That will be next though,there is a company in California,you design a car and submit it to them,they 3D print it out useing a mix of plastic and Kevlar.

When the body is ready you go there and in 2 hours you help assemble the entire car then drive it home.

Nano technology is being used in materials to reduce body panel weight,like your cell phone glass,light weight but strong.

Tesla uses nano technology based steel in thier body and frame,the problem is you cannot remove dents,it is complete panel or section replacement because every panel is a part of the structural assembly in order to reduce weight.

The technology in automobiles is moving so fast,just like with phones and computers,6 monthes and it is outdated and considered obsolete.

The transmission plant was makeing 6 speed transmissions for cars that will no longer be offered and 9 and 10 speed transmissions are already in production.

1 year from now if 12 speed transmissions are online then they will close the 9 and 10 speed transmission factories.

The autoworker of today has to figure out and train where the industry is headed to in the future.I think the days of having little education and landing a job on the assembly line are numbered.

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Originally Posted by Seven&wyo

Someone on this forum said something along the lines of," Cars are made by idiots sold by thieves and bought by mental defectives". I know I butchered that quote but goddamnit it was spot on

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The quote is from a 1960 book, "The Insolent Chariots"

Romney was right by saying that the government should not bail GM out.

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Originally Posted by stasu1213

Romney was right by saying that the government should not bail GM out.

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If the U.S. Gov't did not bail out GM. They will instantly die by liquidation, thousands of people will lose their jobs and Detroit regional structure will be devastated!!!

Both GM and Chrysler did not have a back up plan to restructure. Ford did and they did not ask the government for a bail out.

People called it a bailout but what I read was it was an advance loan based on converting to electric cars in the future.

Kinda like they did in the 70s for the steel mills,the steel mills said they could not compete with imported steel without spending billions in upgrades,so the government gave them the funds and they shut the mills and definitely bailed out,reinvesting it elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by stasu1213

Romney was right by saying that the government should not bail GM out.

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This is old news but any very basic understanding of the auto industry, which someone living in Michigan should have, would explain why it was necessary. Why do you think Ford wanted GM and Chrysler bailed out? Because every parts supplier in North America, and therefore Ford as well, would have shut their doors. The spillover effect would have devastated an already crippled U.S. economy for years.
I found it hard to believe at the time someone like Romney, originally from Michigan, was that stupid.

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Originally Posted by 401don

This is old news but any very basic understanding of the auto industry, which someone living in Michigan should have, would explain why it was necessary. Why do you think Ford wanted GM and Chrysler bailed out? Because every parts supplier in North America, and therefore Ford as well, would have shut their doors. The spillover effect would have devastated an already crippled U.S. economy for years.
I found it hard to believe at the time someone like Romney, originally from Michigan, was that stupid.

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That's why he went on to become president. Oh, wait... Maybe it was the Russians?

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Originally Posted by 401don

This is old news but any very basic understanding of the auto industry, which someone living in Michigan should have, would explain why it was necessary. Why do you think Ford wanted GM and Chrysler bailed out? Because every parts supplier in North America, and therefore Ford as well, would have shut their doors. The spillover effect would have devastated an already crippled U.S. economy for years.
I found it hard to believe at the time someone like Romney, originally from Michigan, was that stupid.

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Great point, they could not let them fail. The domino effect would have devastated SE Michigan, as well as auto manufacturing in other states.

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Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Great point, they could not let them fail. The domino effect would have devastated SE Michigan, as well as auto manufacturing in other states.

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Not to mention the reliance of our Defense Department on automotive technology ...

Actually, the government bailed out the UAW.

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Originally Posted by Danny

Both GM and Chrysler did not have a back up plan to restructure. Ford did and they did not ask the government for a bail out.

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Ford had already mortgaged out their properties before the recession and was much more liquid than GM and Chrysler, mainly because they were bleeding cash well beforehand. After the property crash, nobody was handing out mortgages, so that solution was off the table for GM and Chrysler.

It wasn't that Ford was clever, it was that they were lucky with timing.

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Originally Posted by JBMcB

Ford had already mortgaged out their properties before the recession and was much more liquid than GM and Chrysler, It wasn't that Ford was clever, it was that they were lucky with timing.

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Or, they could see what was forthcoming, and prepared for it. Is the glass half empty or half full?

There is one other contributing factor to Ford not going bankrupt. Ford Motor Is still tightly controlled by the Ford Family.

Ford Stock comes in two varieties. Class A and Class B stock. One of those classes is primarily owned by the Ford Family. That class of stocks has a majority of the stock holder voting rights and can out vote the other class of stocks.

If Ford had gone bankrupt, both classes of stock would have been made worthless. The Ford Family would have lost their voting power over Ford the company.

The Ford families golden goose would have been cooked.

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Originally Posted by 401don

...snip...The spillover effect would have devastated an already crippled U.S. economy for years.
I found it hard to believe at the time someone like Romney, originally from Michigan, was that stupid.

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The idea that businesses who aren't prepared for rainy days should be allowed to fail isn't 'stupid'.

There is a reasonable argument that the moral hazard is created by our willingness to 'bail out' businesses who fail.

We have two choices in how we structure our economic society.

1) Bail out those who fail, or

2) Let them fail.

If the US Auto industry had failed, I would have lost tens of thousands of dollars in investment. Instead, that investment was restructured, and I ended up with shares of the new GM that have done quite nicely. Moral of the story. Don't build resilient businesses. Run on the edge to chase maximum profit, and if things go bad, you'll get bailed out.

Worked for GM and Chrysler. Worked for Wall Street. Let's do it again.

A collapse would have been painful. Really painful. But we'd all be better off with a more responsible Corporate America in the end.

IMO, bail outs are 'stupid'.

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

The idea that businesses who aren't prepared for rainy days should be allowed to fail isn't 'stupid'.

There is a reasonable argument that the moral hazard is created by our willingness to 'bail out' businesses who fail.

We have two choices in how we structure our economic society.

1) Bail out those who fail, or

2) Let them fail.

If the US Auto industry had failed, I would have lost tens of thousands of dollars in investment. Instead, that investment was restructured, and I ended up with shares of the new GM that have done quite nicely. Moral of the story. Don't build resilient businesses. Run on the edge to chase maximum profit, and if things go bad, you'll get bailed out.

Worked for GM and Chrysler. Worked for Wall Street. Let's do it again.

A collapse would have been painful. Really painful. But we'd all be better off with a more responsible Corporate America in the end.

IMO, bail outs are 'stupid'.

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And, of course, as soon as they were out of the woods, things went back to the same old used to be.