Opel Supervisory Board Meets, Decides Nothing. Eisenach For Sale?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Opel’s supervisory board meeting ended with nothing. All the board, which consists of 50 percent labor and 50 percent of what is called “the equity side,” could agree on was that revenue, costs and margins are important. It’s good they have figured that out by now. Plant closures have been tabled. There is no sense in announcing them now anyway – plants cannot be closed before 2015.

It also must have dawned on some people that premature announcements of plant closures are bad psychologic warfare. You want your opponent doubting and hoping at the same time. So yesterday, after the meeting it was leaked that Opel’s plant in Eisenach might be sold. That’s what Reuters says, citing an article in Das Handelsblatt (which can’t be found in the on-line edition.) The Eisenach plant is fairly new. It was built 20 years ago after the wall had come down. It also was expanded last year with a $252 million investment.

A little later, Opel told Reuters that “this speculation is without base and is wrong. There are no plans to sell the Eisenach plant.”

This will drag on for a long time. It won’t be good for Opel sales, and it won’t be good for the GM stock.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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 4 comments
  • Alluster Alluster on Mar 29, 2012

    GM needs to strategically leak news that every plant in Europe will be closed/sold, but officially deny all rumors. By 2014 a large number of workers would have left through attrition fearing uncertainty and job losses. By 2015 GM can consolidate the remaining workers to the remaining plants. This way they wouldn't have fired anyone and the targeted job cuts of 7000 to 10000 would be achieved solely through attrition.

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Mar 29, 2012

    Eisenach for sale? Is the castle included?

  • GS650G GS650G on Mar 29, 2012

    "All the board, which consists of 50 percent labor and 50 percent of what is called “the equity side,” could agree on was that revenue, costs and margins are important." File this fact under no-shit-sherlock. Now who blinks during these troubled times while they wait for the good times and profits to return? If they return.

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