Difference between revisions of "Bowling Green Assembly Plant"

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'''Janesville Assembly Plant''' was an [[automobile]] factory owned by [[General Motors]] located in [[Janesville, Wisconsin]]. Opened in 1919, it was one of the oldest-operating GM plants.
The '''Bowling Green Assembly Plant''' is a [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] [[automobile]] factory in [[Bowling Green, Kentucky]]. It is a specialized plant assembling GM's [[GM Y platform|Y-body]] [[sports car]]s, the [[Chevrolet Corvette]] and [[Cadillac XLR]].


==History==
The factory was originally an [[air conditioning]] plant, but GM purchased it and refurbished it for automobile use. Bowling Green took over Corvette production from GM's [[St. Louis, Missouri]] plant as of [[June 1]], [[1981]]. Most of the 900 Corvette workers from St. Louis transferred to the new plant. Once production of the C4 Corvette stopped in 1996, the plant was again gutted and rebuilt to prepare for the more modern C5 Corvette.
The factory was originally built to produce [[Samson tractor]]s. These failed to find buyers, so GM switched it to producing [[Chevrolet]] automobiles in 1923. It has produced automobiles and pickup trucks over the years, but today builds full-size [[SUVs]].<ref name="Oldest 2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0506/14/0auto-215373.htm|title=Can GM's oldest plant survive latest cutbacks?|work=Detroit News|accessmonthday=June 14 |accessyear=2005}}</ref>


Production at the factory was halted during the [[Great Depression]] for a short time and there was a famous sit-down strike in 1937. The Janesville Assembly also produced [[artillery]] during [[World War II]].<ref name="Oldest 2005" />
The Bowling Green plant is a popular destination for Corvette owners and enthusiasts. It consistently ranks first among GM plants for product-quality.  


Janesville is one of three plants producing the [[GM GMT platform#GMT900|GMT900]] trucks like the [[Chevrolet Suburban]], and began building the next-generation short-wheelbase [[GM GMT platform#GMT900|GMT900]] trucks in January 2006. It began producing long wheelbase GMT900 trucks in March and an overtime shift was added to meet demand.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
==External links==
 
* [http://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant.com/ Official Bowling Green Assembly Plant web site]
Since 1994, the plant has also produced medium-duty trucks for [[Isuzu]] under its partnership with GM.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isuzu.co.jp/world/investor/fact/gm.html|title=ISUZU: GM-Isuzu Relations|publisher=[[Isuzu]]|accessdate=2008-01-31}}</ref>
* [http://corvettehomecoming.com/ National Corvette Homecoming]
 
* [http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9971422-52.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 How a Corvette Gets Built - CNET.com]
The plant covers 4,800,000&nbsp;ft³ (446,000&nbsp;m³)<ref>General Motors. [http://gmdynamic.com/company/gmability/environment/plants/facility_db/facility_summary.php?fID=119 Janesville Assembly fact sheet]. Accessed [[June 27]] [[2008]].</ref> and employed 3,900 workers in 2005 with a peak of around 7,000 in 1970.<ref name="Oldest 2005" />
 
==2008==
{{location map|Wisconsin|caption=Janesville Assembly's location in Wisconsin|lat_deg=42.663251|lon_deg=-89.021745}}
Fuel prices and related slow sales of SUVs have affected the Janesville plant. In April 2008, GM announced that the plant would cut back full-time production to a single shift. Combined with an ongoing employee buy-out program, layoffs were expected to total around 750 jobs in July 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/283632|title=Janesville GM plant cutting 750 jobs|author=Barry Adams|date=[[April 29]] [[2008]]|publisher=''[[Wisconsin State Journal]]''|accessdate=2008-04-29}}</ref>
 
During GM's 2008 Annual shareholder meeting on [[June 3]], [[2008]], CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the Janesville assembly plant would close by 2010, along with three other GM factories. It could close sooner if the market dictates.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/06/02/daily9.html GM closing Janesville assembly plant - ''The Business Journal of Milwaukee'':<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The cutbacks announced, along with other changes, were expected to save the North American division $1 billion per year starting in 2010. Combined with previous efforts, GM expects to reduce costs by $15 billion a year in its North America operations.<ref>[http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmediaspeechdetail.do?domain=588&docid=46165  General Motors Press Conference - Annual Meeting of Stockholders]. Rick Wagoner, General Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Wilmington, Delaware. [[June 3]], [[2008]].</ref>
 
GM extended its annual summer shutdown an additional two weeks and planned another ten weeks of shutdown for the remainder of 2008 because of excess inventories of SUVs made at the plant.<ref>''Janesville Gazette''. [http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/jun/24/janesville-gm-plant-targeted-downtime/ Janesville GM plant targeted for downtime]. [[June 24]], [[2008]].</ref>
 
In June 2008, a study by Steven Deller, a University of Wisconsin-Madison / Extension professor, indicated that the plant's closure could result in a ripple effect for the county. Based on a number of estimates and 2007 employment data, his worst case scenario was the loss of 9,000 jobs and nearly half a billion dollars of labor income in Rock County.<ref>Associated Press. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-gmfactories-wis.,0,5843208.story Study: Janesville GM closing could result job loss of 9,000] [[June 21]], [[2008]].</ref>
 
In October 2008, GM announced Janesville Assembly would be largely idled December 23, 2008 when production of SUVs would end.<ref>''The Capital Times''. [http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=309232 GM to close Janesville plant on December 23 2008]. October 13, 2008.</ref>  A skeleton crew was scheduled to continue to work at Janesville Assembly through May or June, 2009, to complete the Janesville/Isuzu light truck contract.
 
==See also==
*[[List of GM factories]]
 
==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
{{coord|37|0|41.02|N|-86|21|59.81|E|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}
*[http://www.janesvillecvb.com/gm.asp Janesville Convention and Visitor's Bureau - Janesville Assembly]
{{coord|42.663251|-89.021745|type:landmark|format=dms|display=title}}


[[Category:Bowling Green, Kentucky]]
[[Category:General Motors factories]]
[[Category:General Motors factories]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Janesville, Wisconsin]]
 
[[es:Ensambladora Janesville]]
[[fr:Usine General Motors de Janesville]]
[[nl:Janesville Assembly]]

Latest revision as of 18:35, 3 February 2009

The Bowling Green Assembly Plant is a General Motors automobile factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is a specialized plant assembling GM's Y-body sports cars, the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac XLR.

The factory was originally an air conditioning plant, but GM purchased it and refurbished it for automobile use. Bowling Green took over Corvette production from GM's St. Louis, Missouri plant as of June 1, 1981. Most of the 900 Corvette workers from St. Louis transferred to the new plant. Once production of the C4 Corvette stopped in 1996, the plant was again gutted and rebuilt to prepare for the more modern C5 Corvette.

The Bowling Green plant is a popular destination for Corvette owners and enthusiasts. It consistently ranks first among GM plants for product-quality.

External links

Coordinates: 37°0′41.02″N -86°21′59.81″E / 37.0113944°N 85.6333861°W / 37.0113944; -85.6333861

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