(Baltimore, MD) GM to close Astro, Safari plant (1100 jobs)

[UpInArms]

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B78D1E0FB%2D002C%2D43F8%2DBBCA%2D369C9B208077%7D&siteid=mktw

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - General Motors on Tuesday said it plans to shutter its Baltimore assembly plant sometime in 2005 in a move that will affect about 1,000 hourly and 100 salaried employees.

The plant manufactures the Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari, two makes that have outlasted market demand, the company said.

"These vehicles are at the end of their lifecycle," said GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann. "As a consequence, there's no longer a business case to continue building these vehicles."

In October, General Motors sold 2,568 Astros vs. 2,351 in the same month a year earlier and sold only 858 Safaris, down from 1,001. Overall, the world's largest automaker sold 346,058 new cars and trucks during the month, down 5 percent from a year ago.

...a bit more...