BUSINESS: GM optimistic about its reacquired Lockport plant

Local News

November 3, 2009

By Joe Olenick<br><a href="mailto:joe.olenick@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joe</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Nov 03, 2009, 08:48 PM EST

General Motors likes what it sees in its reacquired Lockport plant.

Bill Shaw, GM Components Holding general manager, and Lockport GM plant manager Pat Curtis expressed optimism Tuesday about the future of the facility. On Oct. 6, GM purchased the Lockport manufacturing plant from Delphi, which has provided a boost to the facility’s 1,400 salaried and hourly workers.

“After four years of bankruptcy, there is relief,” Curtis said. “There’s optimism. I would certainly say the morale of the team has improved. So there is a lot of excitement around Lockport continuing to be able to contribute positively to GM.”

The Upper Mountain Road facility was one of four plants GM bought back from Delphi as part of Delphi’s plan to emerge from its four-year bankruptcy. The other plants GM took back were in Rochester; Kokomo, Ind.; and Wyoming, Mich.; as well as Delphi’s steering business. The plants will be under a subsidiary company called GM Components Holdings, while the steering business will be renamed Nexteer Automotive. Delphi spun off from GM in 1999, became GM’s largest parts supplier and entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005.

Delphi will continue to have a presence in the Lockport area, as the technical center on Upper Mountain Road will remain with the company. Delphi is now Delphi Holdings, a private company owned by lenders.

Both Shaw and Curtis said the Lockport plant, just like other GM locations, would focus on being competitive. Shaw said the day-to-day business would not change in Lockport and all current contracts would continue. But competitiveness and employment figures are based on sales.

“We will continue to move forward to make this plant like all the others operating under GM’s global manufacturing system,” Shaw said.

Shaw said the Lockport plant brings a wide variety of heating and cooling operations that can support GM products. Being reunited with the GM family will bring some benefits to Lockport as well, Curtis said. Curtis has been with the Lockport plant for about a year and a half, transferring from Ohio.

“As we’ve made the transition back into GM, we’ve had the opportunity to work closer with the GM team,” Curtis said. “Before, it was a customer/supplier relationship. Now, being a part of the team, there is certainly some opportunities and synergy we didn’t have before, in terms of improvements and reducing costs.”

Shaw, who worked for two years in Tonawanda, said he is familiar with the Western New York area. He also worked for eight years in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

“I know the area, love the area and enjoyed coming back to visit,” Shaw said.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

Text Only

Local News

Paying Respect
May 28, 2012 4 Photos
Sense of resignation escorts AES tax pact
May 24, 2012
Town considering WNYLC's request
May 23, 2012
Palace, Hartland get Greenway funding
The Historic Palace Theatre and the Town of Hartland both were cleared Tuesday to receive Niagara River Greenway funding for improvement projects.

The eight-member Host Communities Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve funding requests of $151,000 for the Palace and $244,000 for Hartland, which is planning a multi-phase town park enhancement project.

May 22, 2012
Erie Canal photo contest underway
The seventh annual Erie Canalway photo contest is under way.

Entries are being accepted now through Sept. 7. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Erie Canalway calendar.

May 22, 2012
Jobless totals drop slightly
Unemployment in the Lockport area decreased slightly last month, but it wasn't because more people are going back to work.

The New York State Department of Labor reported Tuesday about 1,000 city residents were without a job in April, the fifth straight month with over 1,000 unemployed. That was down from the 1,100 it reported in March, however, the number of employed stayed the same at about 9,700 people.

May 22, 2012 4 Stories
Fishing for 'Ultimate' perks
Olcott teaming up with Ontario town in running for Canadian equivalent.

May 22, 2012 2 Photos
Sprinkler work coming
Piping in high school fire sprinkler system will be addressed in July.

May 22, 2012
Willow Street victim identified
The victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Willow Street on Saturday was identified by Lockport Police as Richard Boye, 46.

May 22, 2012
Cutting the travel time
For the most part, there is a lot of planning that goes into traveling. Some like to handle the details on their own, making arrangements on the phone or using travel websites to book hotels, planes, vehicles and so on.

But lately, working with a travel agent is becoming more popular.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

BUSINESS: GM optimistic about its reacquired Lockport plant

Site Map

Contact Us