 | |
| Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1918 |
| Headquarters | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Arturo S. Elias, President and Managing Director, GM of Canada Limited |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Products |
Automobiles Engines |
| Revenue (turnover) | $31.675 billion (FY,2007) |
| Employees | 12,000 |
| Parent | General Motors |
| Website | www.gm.ca |
General Motors of Canada Limited (GM Canada) is the name of General Motors' Canadian division. Its national headquarters office, Canadian Regional Engineering Centre, and main manufacturing plants are located in Oshawa, Ontario. GM Canada is 100% owned by GM.[1]
As of Apr. 24, 2009, GM Canada has received a combined loan commitment of C$3 billion from the Canadian and Ontario governments as it deals with major financial problems amid falling sales.[2]
History[]
Founded in 1918, GM Canada was formed by the purchase of the McLaughlin Motor Car Co., manufacturer since 1907[3] of the McLaughlin automobile based on the Buick Model F, Canadianized with a McLaughlin carriage as its body. From 1910 onward, the cars were well-known across Canada as McLaughlin-Buicks and prominently identified as such, in recognition of their Buick heritage. Prior to becoming GM Canada, McLaughlin had acquired the approval of William C. Durant, then owner of the Chevrolet Motor Co. and preceding its entry into the GM product line, to produce Chevrolet automobiles in Canada, along with the McLaughlin-Buicks.[4]
It is a private subsidiary that is wholly owned by General Motors, so information such as assets, revenues, and profits is not disclosed. Nonetheless, GM Canada has historically been one of the largest and most powerful corporations in Canada, being listed as the third "largest" in 1975, and being comparable to several publicly traded companies such as Bell Canada, George Weston Limited, and Royal Bank of Canada.[5]
General Motors of Canada opened its new head office building on the shore of Lake Ontario in 1989. It is a fixture on Highway 401 and usually displays an enormous picture of a new vehicle on its huge glass atrium.
GM's Canadian Regional Engineering Centre opened in June, 2001. It is primarily responsible for managing the design and validation of vehicles which are manufactured in Canada, though it supports many joint development efforts with GM operations in other countries.
The manufacturing plants located in Oshawa produce the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Impala. The Oshawa plants have regularly garnered top quality ratings by J.D. Power.[6] The Oshawa facility was ranked number 1 facility in overall quality in North and South America by J.D. Power and Associates.[citation needed]
General Motors of Canada announced a naming rights deal for the General Motors Centre in Oshawa on October 5, 2006. The centre's main tenants will be the Oshawa Generals Junior hockey team, who were named for the company in 1937.
On 27 April 2009, GM Canada announced that it would cut over half of its Canadian jobs and close 40% of its Canadian dealerships by 2014 in response to its parent company's dire financial straits.[7]
2008 Canadian Auto Workers bargaining[]
In an unusual move, General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers union reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining contract on May 15, 2008, a full four months before the existing contract was due to expire. As part of the agreement, GM pledged to maintain production at the Oshawa, Ontario pickup truck plant and made other production commitments.
On June 3, 2008, less than three weeks after ratification of the new contract, GM announced that, due to soaring gasoline prices and plummeting truck sales, it would close four additional truck and SUV plants, including the Oshawa Truck Assembly.[8]
In response, the CAW organized a blockade of the GM of Canada headquarters in Oshawa. The blockade was ended by an Ontario Superior Court order, after 12 days. Further discussions between GM and the CAW resulted in an agreement to compensate workers at the truck plant and additional product commitments for the Oshawa Car Assembly.[9]
Canadian factories[]
| Plant | Location | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAMI Automotive | 300 Ingersoll Street, Ingersoll, Ontario | 1989 | GMCL bought out the Suzuki Motors share (50%) on Dec 4 2009 and the plant is now wholly owned by GMCL
Produces GMC Terrain, and Chevrolet Equinox | |
| Oshawa Car Assembly (Oshawa Assembly Plant #1) | 1000 Park Road South, Oshawa, Ontario | 1950s | Produces
Buick Regal, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Impala | |
| Oshawa Metal | 900 Park Road South, Oshawa, Ontario | 1986 | ||
| St. Catharines Engine Plant | 570 Glendale Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario | 1954 | ||
| St. Catharines Components Plant | 285 Ontario Street, St. Catharines, Ontario | 2010 |
Former plants:
| Plant | Location | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Annex Windsor Ontario | 1508 Walker Road, Windsor, Ontario | 1940 | closed around 1993 | now Windsor Expo Centre; main Walker Plant built in 1928; administrative building demolished 1981; formerly Essex Stock Plant 1880s-1919 [10] |
| GM Trim plant Windsor,Ontario | 1600 Lauzon Road, Windsor, Ontario | 1965 | 2008 | sold to Peregrine Acquisition Incorporated and continued trim operations; sold Peregine was acquired by Lear Corporation; 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m²). plant has since closed and was being sold by DTZ Barnicke.The plant has been since demolished |
| Scarborough Van Assembly | 1899-1900 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario | 1963 | 1993 | now Eglinton Town Centre |
| Sainte-Thérèse Assembly | 2500 boulevard De la Grande-Allée, Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec | 1966 | 2002 | demolished; now residential and commercial development (Faubourg Boisbrand) |
| Diesel Division of GM Canada | 1000 Blvd. Industriel, Saint-Eustache, Quebec | 1965 | 1987 | bus plant now NovaBus LFS assembly plant; also home to NovaBus design, administration and sales teams |
| General Motors Diesel of General Motors of Canada | 2021 Oxford Street East (locomotive) 1991 Oxford Street East (GDLS) and London, Ontario | 1950 | 2005 | locomotive and military plant - sold to Electro-Motive Diesel (locomotive division) and General Dynamics Land Systems (military vehicles) |
| Windsor Transmission | 1550 Kildare Road, Windsor, Ontario | 1963 | 2010 | |
| Oshawa Truck Assembly (Oshawa Assembly Plant #2) | 1100 Park Road South, Oshawa, Ontario | 1965 | 2009 | light truck manufacturing facility closed May 14, 2009 |
Models currently made in Canada[]
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A Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics vehicle in Vancouver. GM Canada was a sponsor of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
- Buick Regal Oshawa Car
- Chevrolet Camaro Oshawa Car
- Chevrolet Equinox Ingersoll CAMI Automotive
- Chevrolet Impala Oshawa Car
- GMC Terrain Ingersoll CAMI Automotive
Vehicles exclusive to Canada[]
- Pontiac Astre (1973-1975)
- Pontiac Parisienne
- Chevrolet Tracker (1989-1992, rebadged as Geo although with Chevrolet logo on grille from 1992)
- GMC Tracker (1989-1991)
- Asuna Sunrunner (1991-1994)
- Pontiac Sunrunner (1994-1998)
- Buick Allure (2005-2010, rebadged Buick LaCrosse for Canadian market)
- Pontiac G3 Wave (2005-2008, from 2009 offered in United States and Mexico as well.)
- Pontiac Montana SV6 (2005-2009)
Former Marquees exclusive to Canada[]
- Acadian (1962 to 1971) - Canadian-built Chevrolet IIs
- Asüna (1992-1995) - rebadged imported Isuzu, Suzuki and Daewoo models
- Beaumont (1966 to 1969) - based on Chevrolet Chevelle
- Envoy (1959–1970)- rebadged imported British-built Vauxhall and Bedford models
- Passport (1988-1991) - rebadged imported Isuzu, Saab and Daewoo models
See also[]
- General Motors
- Canadian Military Pattern truck - An important part of GM Canada's contribution to the war effort in World War II
References[]
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This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at General Motors Canada. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons by Attribution License and/or GNU Free Documentation License. Please check page history for when the original article was copied to Wikia |
- ↑ Deborah C. Sawyer, The Canadian Encyclopedia. "General Motors of Canada Limited". Retrieved on 2009-04-26.
- ↑ Industry Canada (2009-03-30). "The Governments of Canada and Ontario Reject Automakers' Restructuring Plans". Retrieved on 2009-04-26.
- ↑ "Motoring Memories » Motoring Memories: McLaughlin-Buick". CanadianDriver (2005-06-17). Retrieved on 2010-12-06.
- ↑ "History of GM Canada". Gm.ca. Retrieved on 2010-12-06.
- ↑ The Top 200 - Canada's Largest Companies c1973-74 - Business[dead link]
- ↑ "J.D. Power and Associates". Jdpower.com (2010-11-29). Retrieved on 2010-12-06.
- ↑ "GM to drop Pontiac in 2010, cut thousands more jobs", CBC News (April 27, 2009). Archived from the original on April 30, 2009.
- ↑ [1][dead link]
- ↑ "This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers". Theglobeandmail.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. Retrieved on 2010-12-06.
- ↑ Chris Edwards (2007-05-10). "From Cows to Cars: G.M. Celebrates 80 years in Walkerville". Walkervilletimes.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-06.
External links[]
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