Final Chevrolet Colorado Leaves Shreveport Plant as GM Ends Production
General Motors has closed its Shreveport Assembly Plant after more than three decades, with the last vehicle off the line being a white Chevrolet Colorado.
The last Chevrolet Colorado has rolled off the line at General Motors’ Shreveport Assembly Plant, ending more than 30 years of vehicle production at the Louisiana facility. The closure on Tuesday brings to a halt the manufacture of both the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups at the site, which opened in 1981 and produced over 4.5 million vehicles during its lifetime.
The final truck built at Shreveport was a white Colorado, marking the end of a production run that included the Chevrolet S-10, Blazer, Hummer H3 and, most recently, GM’s midsize pickups. At its peak, the plant employed more than 2,500 people. The closure leaves around 800 hourly and salaried workers facing redundancy, with some opting for retirement, severance, or transfers to other GM sites such as Wentzville, Spring Hill and Arlington.
The Shreveport plant’s fate was sealed in the aftermath of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy. Although the company invested $1.2 billion in the facility about a decade ago, the site was identified for closure as part of GM’s restructuring. Since March 2011, the plant has been owned by the RACER Trust, which is responsible for liquidating and redeveloping former GM properties. GM has leased the site from RACER for continued production until now, and decommissioning work is expected to finish by December.
Impact on midsize pickup buyers
With Shreveport closed, GM has yet to announce a start date for the next-generation Colorado and Canyon, which will be built at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri. This creates a gap in production, limiting options for buyers seeking a midsize pickup from the brand. GM has advised dealers to increase their inventories, but the timing and availability of new models remain uncertain. At the end of July, GM held a 58-day supply of Colorados and an 88-day supply of Canyons, with sales historically skewed towards fleet customers.
Sales of both models had risen in 2012, with the Colorado up 32.5 percent and the Canyon up 14.2 percent, partly due to the withdrawal of the Ford Ranger and Ram Dakota from the market. The gap in GM’s midsize truck offering is expected to be temporary, as Wentzville prepares for future production. In May, GM began a $380 million expansion at Wentzville, aiming to retain or create 1,260 jobs for the new pickup line.
Future of the Shreveport site
RACER Trust is seeking new tenants for the Shreveport facility, which local officials hope will attract another manufacturer and restore jobs to the region. The plant will be converted into a multi-tenant industrial space once GM’s decommissioning is complete. Until then, a small number of skilled trades and materials staff will remain to wind down operations.
For the workers and the local economy, the closure is a blow after decades of GM presence. The next chapter for Shreveport will depend on RACER’s efforts to remarket the site and the broader demand for industrial space in the region.
For more on the next-generation Colorado, see Chevrolet unveils 2015 Colorado pickup at LA Auto Show.
