Supplier issue cuts back Lordstown GM production

LORDSTOWN

A supplier issue affecting the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze will have an impact on production.

Glenn Johnson, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1112, said it's unclear to what level production will be impacted.

Saturday production at the plant is canceled this week. Johnson was unsure Friday morning of how next week's production will be affected.

The ultimate goal is to fix the problem so it does not impact the customer experience, Johnson said.

Johnson would not specify what the supplier issue is exactly.

The Lordstown plant employs 4,500 to build the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze. The plant launched the new compact car build this year to follow in the successful footsteps of the best-selling first-generation Cruze.

The next-generation Cruze has been in such high demand that General Motors has decided to supplement U.S. production with Cruzes built in Mexico. The Mexico-built Cruzes will come to the U.S. market in September, GM has said.

Meanwhile, production at the local plant has been ramping up and workers have been building Cruzes during occasionally scheduled Saturday shifts to meet demand.