Could Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain become hits for GM?

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USA Today DRIVEON

General Motors may have a rare -- and badly needed -- hit on hits hands with the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.

The starkest evidence yet was GM's announcement Friday that it's increasing production of the two models at a Canadian assembly plant. Almost certainly, March sales figures are going to show healthy increases in sales of the two models. But GM passes on a little more positive word about the pair that underscore why the extra production was needed:

U.S. retail sales for Equinox in February rose 121% compared to February 2009, the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year retail sales increase.

Terrain was a new model introduced last year. So far in 2010, U.S. retail sales for Terrain are up 191 percent, compared to the same period last year for the Pontiac Torrent, the vehicle it replaced.
In February, Equinox averaged 16 days-to-turn,(industry parlance for how many days that vehicles linger on dealers' lots.) Terrain averaged 13 days-to-turn, as compared to 31 days for the overall compact SUV segment and 54 days industry average.

About half of all Equinox and Terrain sales come from non-GM trade-ins.
That last one, that so many sales are coming from buyers trading in other brands, is probably what makes GM CEO Ed Whitacre the happiest.

Check out the Equinox and the Terrain at Bradshaw Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac.

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• GM to Add Workers, Boost Output at Canadian Plants (abcnews.go.com)

Chevrolet and GMC to add crossovers in new way

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2 Ontario sites involved

BY TIM HIGGINS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

GM dealers have said they can't get enough of the Equinox and Terrain crossovers, which are made at GM's CAMI Automotive plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The plant has been running at full capacity and does not have room to paint or to do final assembly of more Equinox vehicles.

But since taking charge as GM North America president in December, Mark Reuss has been working on ways to boost production of some of the automaker's hottest new vehicles to meet customer demand.

On Friday, GM said it will expand CAMI's body shop to produce extra Equinox bodies that will then be shipped about two hours to GM's Oshawa plant for paint and final assembly along with the Chevrolet Impala sedan.

"This plan for CAMI and Oshawa allows us to meet customer demand for hot products while avoiding a potential production overcapacity situation by creatively using our assets and facilities," Reuss said in a statement.

GM executives have been wary of reopening a plant that locks the company into making extra vehicles way into the future even if demand falls off.

The solution announced Friday would seem to allow GM to use workers and space it already had at minimal added cost.

"This is really a good way to take care of it," Joe Langley, an industry analyst from CSM Worldwide, said. "This agreement is pretty cost-effective and they could easily get 50,000 to 60,000 units of ... production online pretty quickly," he said.

The plan calls for a third shift to be added at the Oshawa plant in October, bringing about 600 laid-off workers back to work. At CAMI, about 70 jobs will be created to handle the extra body-shop work, GM said.

"I cannot think of one plant right now in North America that is shipping bodies to another plant for assembly," said industry analyst Michelle Hill of Oliver Wyman.

Equinox and Terrain sales have been on fire. Sales of the Equinox, for example, were up 132% in February compared with a year ago. Its sales are already up 98% so far this year compared with last year, according to Autodata.

According to GM, the Equinox averaged 16 days to sell once at a dealer and the Terrain 13 days, compared with 54 days for the industry average.

In February, the Free Press reported that GM was considering unique solutions to boost production of hot new vehicles. Internal discussion this year at GM included the possibility of bringing some work to GM's Spring Hill, Tenn., plant, or, perhaps, a facility in Janesville, Wis.

Said Kim Carpenter, a GM spokeswoman, "Spring Hill and Janesville remain on standby status and are available if market demand and business conditions dictate a need."

Bradshaw Chevrolet Goes To Bat for Northwood Little League

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Bradshaw Chevrolet to provide Northwood Little League with new equipment, monetary donation, instructional clinics; Additional funds via Chevy Vehicle Giveaway

Greer (March 26, 2010) – Bradshaw Chevrolet announced today it will be investing support in Greer through a partnership with Northwood Little League. Bradshaw Chevrolet will provide baseball equipment, instructional clinics, a monetary donation, and an opportunity to raise an additional $10,000 in funds through a Chevy vehicle giveaway-fundraiser. The effort by Bradshaw Chevrolet is part of the Chevy Youth Baseball initiative sweeping the nation from March through July 2010.

“Chevrolet has a long history with baseball at the national level. We wanted to bring that excitement and commitment to youth baseball, in the communities where our customers and their families live,” said William Bradshaw, of Bradshaw Chevrolet. “Youth baseball has always played an important role in Greer so we are thrilled to support our kids in a meaningful way.”

Bradshaw Chevrolet will present the Northwood Little League with equipment kits complete with equipment bags, baseball buckets, dry-erase coach’s clipboards and Chevy Youth Baseball t-shirts. The sponsorship includes clinics with experienced instructors from former MLB/MiLB players and coaches or the Ripken Baseball professional staff.

In addition, a one-time monetary donation check will be presented by Bradshaw Chevrolet to Northwood Little League. The team also will have an opportunity to raise additional funds for their use as part of a Chevy Youth Baseball Fundraiser. Sponsored leagues across the country will each receive 2,000 fundraiser entry tickets to distribute for a suggested donation, and the league will keep 100% of proceeds raised. At the end of the fundraiser, there will be five winners of a Chevy Equinox or Chevy Malibu vehicle of choice (up to $30,000 in value), and in each participating market there will be a secondary prize of a home entertainment center valued at $1,000.

Chevrolet is recognized on the national level as the “Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball.” “At some point, we hope the kids or their parents will consider a Chevrolet as an official vehicle of their household,” said Bradshaw. “Our vehicles are ideal for transporting families, teams and their gear.”

Chevrolet has expanded its support of MLB to the youth baseball players in communities across the country through the Chevy Youth Baseball program. The Chevy Youth Baseball program began in Atlanta in 2006. Now in its fifth season, the grass roots initiative has activation in more than 20 states and seeks to establish a positive connection between local dealers and the communities they serve. Since its beginning, more than $7 million dollars has been raised by Chevy for community youth baseball leagues.

For more information about Chevy Youth Baseball, please visit www.YouthSportsWired.com