Senator Carper is Encouraged by GM’s Recent Announcement

Wilmington, DE – Senator Tom Carper issued the following statement regarding GM’s announcement to build a Saturn sports car at its Boxwood Road assembly plant: “Today’s announcement is a glass that’s at least half full. All of us are disappointed that the Saturn LS did not meet sales expectations. But GM’s announcement that a second model — a Saturn sports car — will be built on the new Kappa platform at the Boxwood Road assembly plant holds the promise of better things to come,” said Sen. Carper. “All of us who were on hand for the unveiling last month of the Pontiac Solstice are excited about its potential in the marketplace when it’s officially launched in 2005. By adding a second vehicle, GM will begin to utilize even more of its 200,000 vehicle per year capacity at the Boxwood Road assembly plant,” Sen. Carper said. “Potentially, there’s even more good news on the horizon–GM officials have shared with me possible plans to build several other models. I have already begun to encourage GM to build those additional models here. Should that happen, our GM plant could then return to a two-shift operation for the first time in several years, providing a real spark for Delaware’s economy,” said Sen. Carper. As Governor of Delaware in the 1990’s, Carper led the successful fight to convince both GM and Chrysler to make major new investments in their Delaware plants over the past decade rather than to shutter them. He continues to work with leaders of both companies to help bring new products to each plant in order to preserve thousands of manufacturing jobs for plant employees and additional jobs for nearby suppliers to each plant.