GM - Something Positive?

[Karried]

I know we are all reeling from this news especially the employees of GM - this is why I'm starting this thread - let's kick around some scenarios that just may turn this into a positive for OK and the employees.

Think about it - the plant is 100% functional and ready for the next tenant. Obviously, another auto manufacturer would be ideal..

What's to say that in a few months, the plant won't be utilized just for that, opening the doors for more and better employment?

Time for a wish list to offer encouragement - let's stay positive and optimistic.

I'm hoping another big company will see the great advantages of doing business here and will be up and running, offering (experienced) employees a job - by April 2006.

[Patrick]

I'm open to a wish list, but I'm not too positive about the facility being used for manufacturing again. If you haven't noticed lately, most manufacturing has moved overseas. I hate to be pessimistic, but I think that facility will take the same turn of events as the Lucent facility.

[Patrick]

Anyways...here's my short list:


1. Bulldoze Crossroads and turn the GM plant into a huge huge huge indoor shopping mall called "The Factory."

2. A mega call center!

3. An indoor land fill.

Sorry, my optomism is going to pot.

[In_Tulsa]

With all the bad news hear is some good news for the state. http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/1105/279629.html

[Karried]

Patrick.. only positives on this thread... In Tulsa, that's great news - possibly some displaced GM workers might take a look?

I know there will be a silver lining - if anyone can find it, it's those on this board..

[Patrick]

As someone else said, we won't have to deal with GM's pressing demands anymore.

I never really thought GM was a good corporate resident here. They never invested in our community. We can make much better use out of that space.

[Karried]

I agree Patrick, we will come out stronger and better than ever before..

[Patrick]

The Factory lofts anyone?

[brianinok]

Is Toyota planning on doing more expanding in the US? What about Honda? The loss of market share of the "Big 3" seems to be going mostly to Toyota and Honda.

[windowphobe]

Both of them are likely to expand further, but both of them tend to prefer to start from scratch.

Beyond those two, though, there are possibilities: Nissan, which is busily moving its US HQ off the West Coast and into Tennessee, and Hyundai, which is just now learning how much fun it is to produce stuff in the States.

For sheer effrontery, though, I'd like to see Isuzu start making cars (not trucks, but cars) here, mostly because they've felt for a long time that GM screwed them over, and have been busy buying back GM's equity.

[mranderson]

We could have a "flea market" type factory where local craftspeople lease space and manufacture their goods while the public watches them.

[Patrick]

I agree with you guys. GM has decided not to compete with the foreign car makers. Instead, they're cutting back. We need to offer the foreign car makers space and huge incentives to locate here. We're already a proven market when it comes to manufacturing vehicles.

[JOHNINSOKC]

I would like to see Toyota come here, but they are already building a huge plant in San Antonio. I think it is time for the city and chamber to go after a major business just like they did to get the Hornets to come here. We've now lost three major plants(Seagate, Lucent and now GM) Although Dell is huge for OKC, the pay is not comparable to GM. I heard a rumor at work today that Tinker AFB has been wanting the land that GM sits on for years so they could build a longer runway that would go over I-240 and give the base the ability to land larger aircraft. Plus, the idea is to create aerospace opportunities in that area. Does anyone know anything about this?? I hope the Bridgestone(Dayton Tire) plant isn't next. Thoughts??

[Karried]

I was thinking the same thing, manufacturing smaller more fuel efficient cars of course.. (but still, when I get rear ended by the uninsured, I want to be in my Suburban not a Geo) - anyway, back to topic..

John, if that were true, how would Tinker affect our economy compared to what GM has done?

[zuluwarrior0760]

People keep asking why:

Here's why:

1. OKC was excited when GM started building SUV's instead of
Malibu rental cars.......rental cars are always in high demand.......
they're not glamorous.....but it worked for decades....

2. Gas shot from 88 cents when they began building that vehicle
to a peak of 3.00

3. The biggest reason for the lack of demand was:
It's a large SUV with the same six cylinder that the smaller model has,
and it carries a 5000.00 premium over the shorter version
which is far more popular.......why is it far more popular?
Because that 5K premium placed this vehicle square in the pricerange
of new SUBURBANS!!!! that's right........small SUV or full size SUV for
the same price which only got 2 miles less per gallon and had LOTS more
power/room/towing....then to make matters worse, GM started
discounting suburbans a whopping 15 grand, while discounting these
maybe 8 at the most.......during the farce that was EMPLOYEE Pricing...

My money was on the Suburban, not the Envoy......as a matter of
fact, I ordered an 06 Suburban three weeks ago at BOHO
and called today to cancel it.....

I don't need to support a company that put 2000 of my fellow Oklahomans
out of work......

We each have a wallet vote.....

I suggest everyone exercise theirs.......

That's a positive thing!

[brianinok]

Oklahoma City will rebound from this. We can probably absorbe the jobs now-- they just won't be as high paying. I hope our city and/or state leaders (but I have a feeling it will have to come from the city) work on recruiting a new company, and not trying to save the GM plant. The decision is made-- we should accept it and move on.

I will say this, GM has some short-sided executives. They have had declining sales and profits for years. Higher gas prices have compounded it. Why in God's name the poured millions into the plant to make it produces SUV's and did the same elsewhere to take over what we had been doing I'll never understand. And then, to top off their short-sidedness, they pour millions more into it 2 years ago after the tornado.

I think that people should boycott GM. But, I can't. I have already sworn off American-made vehicles until they start building the quality and safety of Japanese and German cars. I recently traded in my 100,000 miles BMW for a new one. And at 100,000 miles, it was in better condition, more reliable, handled better, and was safer than any American-made car that rolls off the assembly line. It's not that American car companies can't make a quality vehicle-- they choose not to, because they want people to have to trade them in for a new one every 3-5 years, as opposed to the much longer life of foreign cars.

[okcpulse]

One thing is for sure. Unlike the west side of Oklahoma City, the manufacturing zone in southeast Oklahoma City is prime manufacturing real estate. That area seems to get more hits from prospects than the Lucent property (which bares with it a ton of pollution problems). Corning did choose the west side to build its fiber-optic plant before abandoning the project, but the new magazine printing plant near GM is running and expanding.

Ciao, GM! Thanks for the mind games, but no thanks. It doesn't do our city good to cause worry once every 15 months or so.

City and state leaders, be ready to market us. My wish? An electronics plant. Plenty of space!

[Patrick]

I agree completely with you brian. Managers at GM simply don't get it. Oil prices aren't the main reason they're struggling. I also don't buy American cars. Why? Because they're simply not built as well as foreign cars. I have a 1993 Nissan Sentra that was built in Japan. Because of the latter fact, I refuse to get rid of it. The car runs great. It's very solid. I just went over 100K and I bet I could probably put another 200K on it.

Turn on the TV right now and you'll see that GM is spending millions on advertising. That's not the answer. Cutting employees is not the answer. The answer involves producing a high quality dependable vehicle that people want.

[writerranger]

I don't lay all the blame at corporate headquarters. Much of the blame lies with the union that destroyed American car manufacturing - the U.A.W.