GM reverses plan to idle Flint assembly plant, extends shutdown in Delaware

Robert Snell / The Detroit News

General Motors Corp. has reversed plans to temporarily idle its Flint assembly plant for two weeks in December but has extended a shutdown at a plant in Wilmington, Del., citing slumping market demand.

GM had said in July that the Flint plant, which produces the GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado and medium-duty trucks, would go on temporary shutdown one week in September, half of November and two weeks starting Dec. 15 as a reaction to falling consumer demand for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles.

But GM told workers Monday that the two weeks of December have been reinstated, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.

"It’s a shift in how we’re trying to make sure we balance our production," Sapienza said. "Employee discount sales did a pretty good job of bringing some of our inventory down."

The automaker extended employee pricing for everyone for a six-week period that ended last month, a move that helped GM beat analyst estimates with only a 15.6 percent sales decline in September.

There were about 717,000 vehicles in stock last month, the lowest September inventory level at GM in 10 years.

In a separate move, GM has extended by three weeks a temporary shutdown at its Wilmington assembly plant.

The plant, which already is scheduled to be shutdown the weeks of Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, also will be idled the rest of November, GM spokeswoman Sherrie Childers Arb said.

The plant employs 1,130 hourly and salaried workers and produces the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opal GT.

"We are reacting to demand for the product in the marketplace," she said.

Solstice sales have fallen 25.9 percent this year, while Sky sales have dropped 7.9 percent.