Published: November 03, 2009 08:46 pm      

BUSINESS: GM optimistic about its reacquired Lockport plant

General Motors likes what it sees in its reacquired Lockport plant.

Bill Shaw, GM Components Holding general manager, and Lockport GM plant manager Pat Curtis expressed optimism Tuesday about the future of the facility. On Oct. 6, GM purchased the Lockport manufacturing plant from Delphi, which has provided a boost to the facility’s 1,400 salaried and hourly workers.

“After four years of bankruptcy, there is relief,” Curtis said. “There’s optimism. I would certainly say the morale of the team has improved. So there is a lot of excitement around Lockport continuing to be able to contribute positively to GM.”

The Upper Mountain Road facility was one of four plants GM bought back from Delphi as part of Delphi’s plan to emerge from its four-year bankruptcy. The other plants GM took back were in Rochester; Kokomo, Ind.; and Wyoming, Mich.; as well as Delphi’s steering business. The plants will be under a subsidiary company called GM Components Holdings, while the steering business will be renamed Nexteer Automotive. Delphi spun off from GM in 1999, became GM’s largest parts supplier and entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005.

Delphi will continue to have a presence in the Lockport area, as the technical center on Upper Mountain Road will remain with the company. Delphi is now Delphi Holdings, a private company owned by lenders.

Both Shaw and Curtis said the Lockport plant, just like other GM locations, would focus on being competitive. Shaw said the day-to-day business would not change in Lockport and all current contracts would continue. But competitiveness and employment figures are based on sales.

“We will continue to move forward to make this plant like all the others operating under GM’s global manufacturing system,” Shaw said.

Shaw said the Lockport plant brings a wide variety of heating and cooling operations that can support GM products. Being reunited with the GM family will bring some benefits to Lockport as well, Curtis said. Curtis has been with the Lockport plant for about a year and a half, transferring from Ohio.

“As we’ve made the transition back into GM, we’ve had the opportunity to work closer with the GM team,” Curtis said. “Before, it was a customer/supplier relationship. Now, being a part of the team, there is certainly some opportunities and synergy we didn’t have before, in terms of improvements and reducing costs.”

Shaw, who worked for two years in Tonawanda, said he is familiar with the Western New York area. He also worked for eight years in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

“I know the area, love the area and enjoyed coming back to visit,” Shaw said.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.