GM may build plant in eastern Europe
By Jesse Snyder, Automotive News
Detroit, Michigan -- General Motors may build an assembly plant in eastern Europe, a top company executive told Automotive News Europe.
“We still need some capacity in central and eastern Europe,†Chris Lacey, GM's executive director for central and eastern Europe, said in a phone interview.
Lacey identified seven countries as potential plant sites: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. All seven have joined the European Union within the past three years.
According to Lacey GM wants to build “where people buy cars, where a good, educated work force is available, and where you have the ability to build up a parts supply chain. So, any of these countries.â€
GM either will have sole ownership of the plant or form a partnership with a local manufacturer.
Lacey said GM needs the capacity to keep up with rapidly increasing sales in central and eastern Europe.
In Lacey's region -- the new EU, the Balkans, Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union -- GM boosted first-half sales 42 percent to 230 113 cars compared with the same period last year.
From Automotive News (A Crain publication)
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