Source: BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS:


New Vettes rolling off line at GM plant

By Christopher Miller, cmiller@bgdailynews.com -- 270-783-3246

Friday, July 23, 2004

The General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant on Thursday put the C5 to bed and kicked off full production of the next-generation: C6.

The event brought together plant manager Wil Cooksey, Saturn President Annette Clayton, Jim Campbell, director of marketing for Chevrolet, and about 1,000 GM employees.

“The one thing we all have in common in this meeting is a passion for the car and a passion for the customer,” Campbell said in an interview after he had finished addressing a crowd. “That passion translates into incredible efforts to build the best car.”

Campbell said he had watched the daily, weekly and monthly teamwork that made the C5 great.

“Thank you for the incredible results – 249,431 units,” he told employees. He also thanked the local plant employees for their friendliness to the 50,000 people who toured the Corvette plant this past year.

“People waved to our guests, it’s a wink, a hello – it means a lot to the customer,” Campbell said.

He said he hopes the passion the employees put into the C5 continues in the C6.

“It’s about working together as a team and knowing our customers,” he said.

He said that in 1999 Corvette customers and enthusiasts came to the Bowling Green plant and cheered the employees as they exited the building.

“It’s incredible that the customers would have that pride and thank the workers,” Campbell said.

He closed his speech telling employees they would receive a special C6 poster and one of 5,000 limited-edition Hot Wheels Corvette C6.

On the back of the Hot Wheels package, it reads “Chevrolet salutes you, the men and women of Bowling Green.”

“When you get this, a lot of people won’t cut it open,” Cooksey said. “Some have sold them and made a little money.”

Clayton, Saturn’s president, said it was an exciting time for Corvette and Cadillac because of their production here.

“Give yourselves a round of applause. Bowling Green is a gem inside GM,” she said.

She praised the work of United Auto Workers Local 2164; it’s work added to the great reputation of the C5.

“I’m proud to be a part of this team, the enthusiasm is infectious,” she said.

The plant is now manufacturing C6s that could be available for sale soon. When they’re ready, the cars will be shipped to distributors, according to Michelle Bunker, spokeswoman for the plant.