Mitsubishi’s Illinois plant idled for 7 weeks
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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It has been decided by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. that it will temporarily postpone manufacture at its Illinois plant for seven weeks in the following year after U.S. sales plummeted 25 percent in November.Planned to take effect on February 16 all the way through April 13, the shutdown, will commemorate the longest manufacturing halt since the Normal, Illinois, plant opened in 1988, said a spokesman for Mitsubishi North America, Dan Irvin.
The factory, which produces the Galant sedan and the Eclipse sports car, has personnel numbering in the 1,568, including more than 1,200 hourly workers signified by the UAW. The workers will remain on payroll, moving to non-production jobs counting maintenance and training during the time, Irvin said.
The 25 percent Mitsubishi's U.S. sales reduction through November was more than the industry's 16 percent plunge. The reasons for reduced sales are tight credit, a housing-market crash and a slowing economy. The very high gasoline prices that climbed to record highs this summer likewise limited demand, principally in the first half of 2008.
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