GM To Close White Marsh Plant

WHITE MARSH, MD — General Motors announced Monday morning that it is shuttering several plants. Among the operations that will close is the plant in White Marsh.

General Motors will lay off 14,700 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles, the Associated Press reported.

The following propulsion plants will be idled in 2019:

• Baltimore Operations in White Marsh, Maryland
• Warren Transmission Operations in Warren, Michigan

The following assembly plants will be idled in 2019:

• Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
• Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit
• Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio

The plant in the 10300 block of Philadelphia Road in White Marsh has been open since 2000. It creates transmissions for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra as well as electric drive motors for the Cadillac.

It has a staff of 315 people, according to GM.

GM's reduction across North America includes 8,100 white-collar workers, some of whom will take buyouts and others who will be laid off.

Most of the affected factories build cars that won't be sold in the U.S. after next year. They could close, or they could get different vehicles to build. They will be part of contract talks with the United Auto Workers union next year, the AP said.

GM has had a presence in the Baltimore area for more than 80 years.

After the White Marsh plant opened, GM closed its original Baltimore plant on Broening Highway, which had been operating since 1935 manufacturing vehicles. That facility shuttered in 2005.

“Baltimore County stands with the workers and their families who are part of a decades-long GM manufacturing legacy in Baltimore, from advanced hybrid motors in White Marsh to vehicle production at Broening Highway," County Executive Don Mohler said in a statement on Monday, Nov. 26, in response to the news that GM would be closing its White Marsh plant in 2019.

"The county’s workforce development team is available immediately to assist with job and career counseling services for the 300 GM workers whose jobs will be affected next year," Mohler said. "The Eastpoint Career Center will help match GM workers with other employers looking for their skills in advanced manufacturing and connect them to training and job search workshops.”

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

— By Patch editors Jessica Strachan and Elizabeth Janney

File photo by Elizabeth Janney.