GM Retiree eNews - May 14, 2010 |
This Issue |
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GM To Release Q1 Results on May 17 |
General Motors Company plans to release information on first quarter results on Monday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. EDT (Detroit time). |
Chevrolet-Buick-GMC-Cadillac Sales Increase 20 Percent in April |
2010-05-04
A combined retail sales increase of 33 percent for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac propelled total sales for GM's four brands in the U.S. to 183,091 during the month. This represents a 20 percent increase from a year ago. For the calendar year-to-date, combined total sales for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac are up 31 percent. The continued year-over-year sales increases are largely being driven by the company's launch products, which now represent one of every four GM vehicles sold at retail. Year-to-date, combined sales of the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Equinox, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX are up nearly 300 percent, at 110,176, compared to the vehicles they replaced. Read More>> |
GM Names Joel Ewanick Vice President, U.S. Marketing |
2010-05-05
"Joel is highly regarded in industry and marketing circles and his track record speaks for itself," said Reuss. "We are very pleased to have his marketing acumen, creative leadership and energy at GM at this critical time." As the single point for marketing, Ewanick will have responsibility for improving the positioning of the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands and consumer consideration of GM vehicles in the United States. Most recently, he was vice president of marketing, chief marketing officer for Nissan North America. Before joining Nissan in March, Ewanick served as vice president of marketing for Hyundai Motor America. During his three year tenure, Ewanick earned industry recognition as the most impactful automotive marketer in America; Automotive News'2009 Marketing All Star of the Year; Brandweek's 2009 Marketer of the Year; and Forbes' Chief Marketing Officer of the Year. Ewanick succeeds Susan Docherty, 47, whose new position at GM will be announced soon. With extensive sales, service and marketing experience, Docherty has held positions of increasing responsibility in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Most notable is her brand work, including the launch of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and GMC Terrain. "Susan has been deeply involved in GM's sales and marketing initiatives for many years," Reuss said. "With her drive and focus, she has laid the groundwork for solid plans and rejuvenated our agency relationships, placing us in good stead for the future. We look forward to her contribution across the business moving forward." |
GMAC Transitions to Ally Financial |
GMAC Financial Services officially became Ally Financial Inc. on May 10. The brand change to Ally is part of the company's strategic decision to implement a corporate brand that it owns and can be developed over the long term. The company currently has an agreement to license the "GMAC" trademark from GM and the license expires in 2016. This transition to Ally will enable the company to leverage a brand that currently exists in its portfolio to support efforts toward becoming more customer-focused. "The company has marked a number of significant accomplishments so far this year," said Ally Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Carpenter. "As we begin the next chapter under the Ally Financial brand, we will continue our progress in executing our strategic objectives and remain focused on our commitment to customers." The company remains focused on delivering the best-in-class financial products and services to support GM and its dealers. The Ally brand was first introduced at Ally Bank in May 2009 and is now adopted at the parent company. There will be no change to the branding of the company's operating units at this time. Options to use the Ally brand more broadly within the company are currently being evaluated; however, decisions have not been finalized. |
Green Technology Patents Dominate GM 2009 Filings |
2010-05-12
"The move toward electrification is requiring us to reinvent the DNA of the automobile, requiring massive amounts of innovation," said Alan Taub, vice president of GM Global research and Development. "There's almost no component on the vehicle that is not being reinvented. As a result, our green patent portfolio is helping us achieve world-class technological breakthroughs in the energy and environmental space." Read More>> |
GM Looks to Hawaii for Hydrogen Infrastructure Pilot |
Collaboration with The Gas Company Plans Stations on Oahu for Fuel Cells |
2010-05-11 Abundant hydrogen is available on the island of Oahu to power a ramp up of fuel cell vehicles through a General Motors collaboration with The Gas Company (TGC), Hawaii's major gas energy provider, the two companies announced Tuesday. TGC produces hydrogen along with synthetic natural gas and delivers it in its utility gas stream, with more than 5 percent hydrogen content today. Through a proprietary separation process, TGC plans to tap into its 1,000-mile utility pipeline system at key locations and separate the hydrogen for use by local fueling stations for fuel cell vehicles. Read More>> |
Just for GM Retirees |
New GM Retiree Website Launched May 3 |
The new GM Retiree Socrates website, www.gmretiree.com, launched May 3, offering additional functionality and additional features not open for public consumption. This website will allow retirees to access enhanced benefit information, announcements and notices, exclusive GM Marketplace offers/discounts, club information, GM news, and product information. The new GM Retiree Socrates website is a secure site that is password protected. During the registration process, you will be asked to provide the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, zip code, birth month and birth day to confirm your identity as a GM retiree. In addition, you will be required to provide us with an email address so we may provide you with retiree eNews, as well as local GM events and activities. To access GM Retiree Socrates, go to www.gmretiree.com. Be sure to bookmark the website today. |
GM Retirees receive up to a 30% discount on engine parts |
Specialty Auto Parts is proud to extend a deeply discounted promotion to GM Retirees and their family. Simply enter exclusive the GM coupon code, from Marketplace inside the new GM Retiree website, in the shopping cart area once you've added your parts, and you'll receive up to a 30% discount on licensed engine dress-up parts! Once you have added the coupon code all the pricing adjusts to what you pay. www.FactoryPerformanceParts.com is your destination for Small and Big Block Chevy engine dress-up parts, ignition and cooling parts, and engine builder tools! Patented innovations like the Chevy small block 2-piece valve covers, and the aggressive looking Slant-Edge valve cover in ten different styles represents the ultimate in consumer choice and functionality. |
Brand Buzz |
Buick Delivers First Regal in the United States |
The first 2011 Regals begin to roll off dealer lots |
2010-05-12
"The Regal is a superb car to drive on the road, with more of a European feel than any other car we looked at," said the new owner. "My 15 year-old daughter has already said she wants to take the car to college with her in a few years." The new Regal owner traded in a 2007 Saturn Outlook and stated that the Regal offered all the right features in the right size. He also looked at the Toyota Camry and Audi A4, but decided on the Regal because it had all the amenities of a premium vehicle without the costly price tag. Read More>> Want a closer look at the Regal? Click here to see an exterior walk around. |
Buick sales surge as its buyers get younger |
Why are GM executives so excited about Buick — the brand most likely to be left behind when mom and dad move to the senior living center? Well, lately it's been behaving very un-Buick like, attracting younger buyers and seeing sales soar in trend-setting regions such as California. It is the fastest growing major brand in the industry. Buick was once among the brands GM considered scrapping. But the automaker now says it plans to double the number of models under the Buick nameplate, adding a sporty Regal sedan, a smaller sport-utility vehicle and a compact similar to the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze. Overall Buick sales in California have doubled from a year earlier. Nationally, Buick sales surged more than 50% to 44,317 through the first four months of this year, a period when industry sales gained 16.7%, according to Autodata Corp. Buick also is outselling Ford's Lincoln luxury brand this year. The brand expects to double its current level of sales over the next several years. Three years ago, the typical Buick buyer was 64 years old. Now that buyer is 61, and getting younger, said Jeff Schuster, an analyst at J.D. Power & Associates. "These things don't tend to move a lot, so a three-year decline is a big deal and it comes at a time when other brands have started to age," he said. The typical buyer of a Ford, he said, is now 50, up from 47 three years go. During that same period, the typical age of Lexus buyers has climbed a year to 52. — Source: Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2010 |
GM President Gives 2011 Chevrolet Cruze One Final Test Drive |
New York Times Wheels Blog Mark Reuss slipped behind the wheel of the metallic-red Chevrolet Cruze, buckled his seat belt and adjusted the seat and mirrors. Surveying the car's instrument cluster and control console, he ran his fingertips across the dashboard, checking its surface texture and the consistency of fit between trim panels. Mr. Reuss is a career GM engineer and accomplished amateur racecar driver, who was made president of the automaker's North American business last December. On a chilly afternoon at GM's proving ground north of Detroit this week, he was casually clad in a fleece jacket, blue jeans and western boots, but the expression on his face was dead serious as he turned the ignition on and listened to the Cruze's turbocharged 1.4-liter engine come alive. "I'm taking in a lot of data here — the sound of the engine cranking, the intuitiveness of the controls, the 'human factors' that determine how well the vehicle and driver interact," he explained. Observing this ritual from the Cruze's passenger seat, I was struck by Mr. Reuss's preflight attention to detail and his quiet intensity as he prepared for the final engineering-evaluation drive of GM's new small car. Read More>> |
GM Takes Volt on the Road to Win Hybrid Drivers' Hearts, Minds |
Chicago Tribune The strong-selling Toyota Prius and tougher federal gas mileage standards have made it clear: Environmentally friendly cars can't be "a hobby" for General Motors. GM has dabbled in green technologies for years, building a handful of two-seat electrics in the 1990s, experimenting with hydrogen fuel-cell technology and using gas/electric drivetrains to add one or two miles per gallon to some of its products. Speaking during a publicity tour at the University of Maryland, Keith Cole, GM's legislative and regulatory affairs director, promised that the automaker's latest effort will be different. Read More>> |
In the News |
GM's Favorable Rating Accelerates — and Other Tidbits From WSJ/NBC Poll |
The Wall Street Journal Washington Wire We couldn't cram everything into today's coverage of the latest WSJ/NBC News poll, so we combed through the, well, leftovers, and found some tasty tidbits. Rating GM: General Motors's favorable rating has moved way up since last June, when it stood at 18%. Now, 37% view the auto maker very positively or somewhat positively, and 27% holding the opposite opinion. Perhaps GM can give some tips to BP (favorable rating, 11%), Goldman Sachs (4%) and Citibank (10%). Hispanics and Immigration: A growing number of Hispanics say that immigration is hurting the U.S. more than it helps. Nearly one-third of Hispanics, 32%, said it hurts more than helps, up from 21% in June 2007. In the border town of McAllen, Texas, Cristina Escamilla said illegal immigration has gone too far. "We see the impact on our schools, on hospitals and social services more than anyone else," said Escamilla, who describes herself as a 57-year-old housewife, an independent with Republican leanings, and the daughter of U.S.-born parents. "I know we all came from somewhere else, wanting a better life. But we pay our taxes and do what we are supposed to do, and a lot of our taxes are paying for people that don't belong here." Financial Regulation: When it comes to problems in the financial markets, most American say President Barack Obama is "more concerned about the interest of average Americans" rather than big companies. Just over half of those surveyed, 51%, said Obama is more concerned about the average American, while 36% said he was more concerned about large corporations. About seven in 10, 71%, said Republicans in Congress are more concerned about large corporations and 53% said Democrats in Congress are more concerned about big companies. |
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Auto Makers Reverse Skid |
The Wall Street Journal After one of the worst downturns in its history, the auto industry appears headed for a recovery and at least a couple years of strong profit growth. In the past few weeks, Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG have forecast significant profit increases for the current year. Several others, including Nissan Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., are expected to offer upbeat outlooks and improved earnings. Read More>> |
GM Speeds Up Repair of Dealer Network |
Automotive News General Motors Co. has a new strategy in dealer relations, led by its CEO and North America boss: Clean up the mess left by the old GM. GM is adopting a more flexible approach to its dealer footprint, welcoming back dozens of rejected dealers in the past two months and extending settlement offers of as much as $1 million. GM had said in March that it was offering reinstatement to 661 of the 1,160 dealerships whose owners sought arbitration over GM's decision to wind down franchises at their stores. GM later raised the number to 666. Now the reinstatement figure is significantly higher. Lawyers say they have several dozen clients who weren't on GM's original reinstatement list but have since received letters of intent to bring them back, often with the provision that they meet performance standards. Read More>> |
GM Plants Honored for National Safety Council Occupational Excellence Award |
"Safety is still our overriding priority in GM. With strong support from GM and our union's leadership and personal accountability by each team member, we have earned recognition for our world-class safety performance," said Mike White, director, Global and GMNA Safety, Manufacturing and Labor. "More important than the awards is the commitment to providing a safe work environment for our team and the way we look out for each other." |
Competitive Connection |
Toyota Targets $50,000 Range for Hydrogen Sedan Due by 2015 |
Toyota, the biggest seller of hybrid cars, said it has cut the cost of making fuel-cell vehicles by about 90 percent since the mid-2000s and may be able to price its first retail hydrogen model at about $50,000. The first model will be a sedan with driving range equal to a gasoline-powered car, "with some extra cost," Yoshihiko Masuda, Toyota's managing director for advanced autos, said. The Japanese carmaker has cut production costs to about one-tenth of earlier estimates that ran as high as $1 million per car and would need to cut current costs by about half before starting retail sales, he said. "Our target is, we don't lose money with introduction of the vehicle," Masuda said. "Production cost should be covered within the price of the vehicle." Offering hydrogen cars that don't sell at a loss may boost support for the technology, which has lagged behind electric cars in U.S. research funding amid criticism it's too expensive. Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Daimler and Hyundai have all said they will be ready to sell fuel-cell vehicles to retail customers by about 2015. — Source: Bloomberg, May 6, 2010 |
Ford Puts Debt Before Dividend Payments |
Detroit News Wilmington, Del. -- Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. told Ford shareholders here Thursday that restoring dividend payments would have to wait until the automaker pays down more of its debt. But he said shareholders had little cause for complaint, given that the price of Ford shares has soared in the past year as the automaker ended a 15-year slide in market share and returned to profitability after years of record losses. "This is one of the greatest financial turnarounds in our 106-year history, and I believe a historic turning point for our company -- the beginning of a sustained period of profitable growth and product excellence," Bill Ford told about 100 shareholders at the Hotel DuPont. "You, the shareholders, have benefited from this resurgence after some decidedly lean years." A year ago, Ford stock was trading at $4.71 a share; Thursday it lost 26 cents but closed at $12.42, and has traded much higher in recent weeks. Read More>> |
Toyota Yields U.S. Loyalty Crown to Honda After Recalls, Survey Says |
Reuters DETROIT (Reuters) -- Toyota's safety recall crisis has helped topple the automaker as the U.S. champion of customer loyalty, allowing Honda and Ford to leapfrog to the top spots, Consumer Reports said. An April survey by the nonprofit publication showed that 57 percent of current Toyota owners would "most likely" buy another new vehicle from Toyota Motor Corp., down from 70 percent in a December survey. The result suggests Toyota may face pressure to extend costly sales incentives to win back U.S. consumers and prevent its market share from slipping. Read More>> |
Incentives & Discounts |
Toyota and other carmakers are expected to offer more discounts at dealerships, after April new-vehicle sales fell short of analysts' expectations. "After where we were in March and everyone was quick to say the recovery was in full swing, April really gives us a reality check that that road to recovery is still going to be a long one," said Jessica Caldwell, director of pricing and industry analysis at Edmunds.com. Toyota's discounts were not as effective in April as in March, when its sales increased 41 percent. Last month, 58 percent of Toyota buyers received no-interest financing, down from a record 71 percent in March, according to Edmunds. Edmunds now projects that Ford this year could reclaim its spot as the second-largest seller of vehicles in the United States. "This is a point where consumers are coming back to the marketplace, so it's critical to be aggressive, within reason," said Jesse Toprak, vice president for industry trends and insights at TrueCar.com. Some models are selling well even without incentives. At GM, newly introduced models like the Chevrolet Equinox crossover and Buick LaCrosse sedan accounted for one of every four vehicles sold to individual buyers. New models typically sell at close to sticker price. — Source: New York Times, May 4, 2010 |
On the Internet |
Faces of GM |
Jim: Reducing Environmental Impact at GM Lansing Plant |
You can read and blog about Jim and many other GM employees at http://www.facesofgm.com. |
Did You Know? |
Arlington Assembly Celebrates the Longest Running Nameplate in Automotive History |
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62 GM plants eliminate waste to landfills |
2010-05-06
"We've been working for quite some time at eliminating waste and developing support systems to recycle or reuse wastes we can't yet eliminate," said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety policy. "These plants have taken this process to its highest level. They are leading General Motors and the worldwide manufacturing industry." Landfill-free GM plants include 27 facilities in North America, 21 facilities in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, and 14 facilities in Europe. (CHART) On average, more than 97 percent of waste materials from GM's zero landfill plants are recycled or reused and about 3 percent is converted to energy at waste-to-energy facilities replacing fossil fuels. Read More>> |
General Motors today announced that Joel Ewanick has been appointed vice president, U.S. Marketing, effective May 24. Ewanick, 49, will report to Mark Reuss, president, GM North America. 
More than half of the 1,300 patents filed by General Motors Co. in 2009 are green innovations, proof of the rapid development of groundbreaking technology by GM researchers and engineers.
For over 20 years, Specialty Auto Parts USA, Inc. has been engineering and manufacturing engine dress-up parts for GM, which has made them an industry leader in this category.
Not even on the dealer lot for 24 hours, the first 2011 Buick Regal was sold this past weekend in Elgin, Ill. by the Woody Buick GMC dealership outside Chicago. The owner of the Regal is a 44 year old executive at a manufacturing company in the Chicago area.
GM received recognition from the National Safety Council (NSC) for the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award for its 74 North America plants that met the criteria as they made safety their number one priority. The awards were given to GM for reporting injuries and illnesses that involved days away from work equal to or less than 50 percent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics rate using OSHA record keeping requirements for 2009.
Jim Ecklund: Senior Environmental Engineer, GM's Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant
75 years ago Chevrolet introduced an entirely new kind of vehicle to the automotive landscape, the 1935 Suburban Carryall. On Monday, the Arlington Assembly Plant celebrated the longest running nameplate in automotive history by driving the first production model of the 75th Anniversary "Diamond Edition" Chevrolet Suburban off the line. The plant had the unique opportunity to have NASCAR 4-Time Champion, Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel of that Suburban. Also on hand for the event was Chevrolet's new Vice President of Sales, Service, and Marketing, Alan Batey.
Sixty-two General Motors manufacturing plants have achieved "zero landfill" status by recycling or reusing all normal plant wastes, meaning 43 percent of its global manufacturing facilities no longer send any production waste to landfills. The company's goal, announced in 2008, is to convert half of its major manufacturing facilities worldwide into landfill free operations by the end of 2010. To date, GM is 87 percent toward delivering on that commitment.