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2017 Cruze production to begin Friday
By Kalea Hall
LORDSTOWN
This Friday, workers at the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant will transition to building the 2017 model-year Chevrolet Cruze.
Outside of four new color options, the 2017 Cruze is said to be the same as its 2016 model year predecessor.
“It’s not going to be a significant change,” said Glenn Johnson, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112, which represents 3,000 Lordstown assembly workers. “It’s always exciting to launch another year model of the Cruze.”
The 2017 Cruze should hit dealerships in three to six weeks.
Lordstown leaders say production is running normally at three shifts.
“The membership is working hard,” said Robert Morales, president of UAW Local 1714, the fabrication plant’s union. “We are getting better, and we are making progress as far as the numbers go.”
This year, the plant launched the all-new next-generation Cruze. In March, the Cruze – with more technology, enhanced safety features and a sleek style – started to ship out to dealers.
Johnson said the plant has production scheduled for this Saturday to get more Cruzes out to dealers. The line is performing two tasks at once: trying to get production numbers up and making sure the Cruze is built with quality the first time through, Johnson explained.
The Cruze sales also are making progress. In May, the new Cruze accounted for 85 percent of the Cruze retail sales compared with 53 percent in April.
“General Motors put the right incentives on that car, and it just flies off of the shelf,” said Barry Gonis, general manager at Spitzer Chevrolet in Lordstown. “It’s a great car. We are looking forward to the ’17s coming out.”
Cruze sales in May totaled 16,671. In June, Cruze sales came in at 18,666.
GM said demand for the Cruze in mid-June was so strong that it led to a supply shortage across the U.S., which led the company to decide to supplement the Lordstown Cruze production with the Cruzes produced at the plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
Those Cruzes will supplement U.S. supply temporarily starting this September.
In August, union leaders will take trips to Mexico and Canada to see some other operations at plants that are considered at the top tier of “built in quality.” Lordstown is at tier three and wants to be at tier four, the top tier, Johnson explained.
“We can always learn,” Johnson said.
Morales also sees the trips as a learning opportunity for everyone involved.
“It is an opportunity for us to go over and learn how they are doing their business,” he said.
The new color options on the 2017 Cruze are Glory Red, Gasoline, Pepper Dust and Blue Persuasion. Two 2016 colors, Limited Addiction and Berlin Blue, will be ended.
“Our job is to make sure we continue to build a quality car for the customers and our membership is up for it,” said Morales, who represents 1,400 fabrication-plant workers. “To see where we came from in 2008 to where we are today, it just shows that we are doing things right.”