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A continued drop in sales of large sport utility vehicles will keep the GM plant in Janesville from running until late July, a company spokesman said.
The plant was supposed to resume production July 14 after a two-week shutdown but will now be closed another two weeks, until July 28, spokesman Chris Lee said.
In addition, there will be 10 more weeks between August and the end of the year in which the plant will not produce any SUVs. Similar production cutbacks have been announced at the company’s other factories that make SUVs and large pickup trucks, he said.
The cuts are part of a flurry of announcements Monday by GM, which also announced interest-free financing for up to six years on many of its models, a price increase on 2009 models and plans to boost production of crossover utility vehicles and cars that are selling well.
Dramatic declines in sales of large SUVs have continued in June, Lee said. “The trend is continuing. We haven’t had an uptick in the market at this point.”
GM announced last week that it will lay off 852 workers this summer when it slows production at the Janesville plant by operating one shift instead of two. The plant is scheduled to cease production of SUVs by 2010, if not sooner — the result of rising fuel prices.
Although GM executives held out little hope that the plant would remain open, they have not officially announced that the plant will be closed.
A community effort to convince GM to keep the plant open, perhaps by building crossovers there, will be led by Brad Dutcher, president of United Auto Workers Local 95, and Janesville School Board member Tim Cullen, Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday.
“Our goal is to put a package together to take to Detroit to try to secure something for the future of Janesville,” Dutcher said. “We understand there’s a slim chance, but there’s still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, we’re going to take advantage of that opportunity and try to convince them that they can be profitable in Janesville.”

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