Who Will Get Opel's Zafira When Bochum Closes?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Now that Opel workers in Bochum refused a plan to keep the factory open, now that an intervention by UAW’s Bob King went exactly nowhere, the question is where to move production of the Opel Zafira when Bochum closes its doors by end of 2014.

In the running: Rüsselsheim, Germany, and Ellesmere Port, UK.

Both locations are top options on the lists of GM and Opel managers, Automobilwoche [sub] says. Opel’s board of management will make a decision by June, which the supervisory board will have to approve. A member of the supervisory board told Automobilwoche that “business aspects” speak for Ellesmere Port, however, he hopes that the Zafira will remain in Germany. The union has half the seats of Opel’s supervisory board, and we know what the unions hope.

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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  • Cammy Corrigan Cammy Corrigan on May 13, 2013

    Ellesmere! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ellesmere! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Guess who I'm hoping wins....? P.S. If I've interpreted the quote correctly, then, what they are saying is "Sending the Zafira to Ellesmere Port makes good business sense, however, we want it to stay in Germany." Therefore, if Vauxhall/Opel decide AGAINST Ellesmere Port, then they've made a frank admission that they are NOT running Vauxhall/Opel as a business, but more like a European lobbying group. Which can't do them any favours in Detroit...

  • Stephen Stephen on May 13, 2013

    Just how expensive are workers in Germany compared to workers in England? And how high are Corporate taxes in Germany compared to England? Have to be pretty darn high to offset the cost of setting up a completely new supply chain and getting the materials to England and shipping the cars across the Channel. I mean,I have to believe it's a lot easier redirecting the supply network to another location in Germany than shipping to England. Sounds more like "business reasons" is code for "What kind of deal are you going to give us to stay in Germany? Because if you don't give us what we want ,we're taking our ball and going to England!"

    • See 1 previous
    • Mike978 Mike978 on May 13, 2013

      @Cammy Corrigan Also corporation tax is lower in the UK and Vauxhall's market share (and hence Zafira sales) is greater than Opel's market share in Germany.

  • Dolorean Dolorean on May 13, 2013

    Regardless of where the Zafira ends up, love to have one over across the pond. With a slick 6spd manual and lovely, torquey diesel, it would have me in the dealership with a quickness to trade in my Mazda 5 Grand Tourer.

    • Bball40dtw Bball40dtw on May 13, 2013

      We'll get that in the US about the same time as we get the Ford Grand C-Max 2.0 TDCi.

  • Ranwhenparked Ranwhenparked on May 15, 2013

    Oh man, oh man, who's it gonna be? On the one hand, Ellesmere Port is GM Europe's most efficient plant, on the other hand it's going to be Rüsselsheim. Yep, Rüsselsheim. Not much suspense there. GM needs to throw a bone to the German labor unions and politicians for being so "generous" as to let GM close it's own plant that it doesn't need anymore, and keeping some production within the country may be the way to do that. I don't think the German government, the EU, or IG Metall would ever tolerate moving a model to the UK from Germany.

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