Lansing’s Grand River Assembly Plant to lay Off Hundreds

Beautiful Cadillacs and Camaros are sitting in the parking lot at GM's Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Lansing.  Declining car sales will force the plant to cut its third shift in January and lay off as many as 839 workers.

According to the Lansing State Journal, despite critical acclaim and accolades, sales of the Chevrolet Camaro are down 8% since the Lansing built sixth generation sports car hit the market a year ago.

Erin Davis, GM's Lansing based spokeswoman said, "the market seems to be trending toward the SUV and truck market segment."

Light trucks, which include crossovers, SUVs and pickups, offer more space and have better fuel economy than before, which make them more attractive to consumers.

At least one auto supplier will be laying off workers in anticipation of GM cutting its third shift.  DexSys, which supplies exterior components to Lansing Grand River Assembly, will cut 40 temporary employees in January.