January 24, 2008
Trendsetter For State-Of-The-Art Production
Background information, related facts and figures about the Opel plant in Eisenach
Rüsselsheim/Eisenach. The Corsa is a prime example of Opel’s success in the supermini
segment and the trendsetting production methods employed at the plant in Eisenach. To
date, 1,896,970 Corsas have rolled off the assembly lines of this ultra-modern facility. It is
home to the production of the three-door sedan variant and the CorsaVan, which is very
popular in Southern European countries. In 2007 alone, 181,862 vehicles left the Eisenach
plant, 30 percent of which were right-hand drive Vauxhall models bound for the UK market.
The Opel Corsa was the most successful supermini in Germany in 2007, with
79,000 registrations. The ten-millionth Corsa is a three-door model with a 1.3 CDTI engine,
which requires 4.5 liters of diesel per 100 km, emits just 119 grams CO2/km and is one of
the most economical vehicles in its segment.
Opel’s success story in Eisenach since 1990
Opel has played an important role in the region’s extremely positive development since
1990. With its commitment in building a new plant after the reunification of Germany, Opel
laid the groundwork for a revitalization of the area's rich automobile heritage. On October
5, 1990, two days after the official reunification, the first Opel Vectra left the production
lines. Previously, Opel had founded a joint venture with state-owned car factory VEB
Automobilwerk Eisenach, but the experience with the highly qualified employees was so
good that Opel decided to build a completely new plant.
On February 7, 1991, the first stone was laid, and as early as September 23, 1992, the
new plant in Eisenach went online.
Adam Opel GmbH
D-65423 Rüsselsheim
http://media.opel.com
General Motors Corporation
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With an investment of over one billion German marks, the company laid the cornerstone for
one of the most advanced and productive automobile plants in Europe. Since its opening,
the 1750 employees have produced more then 2.2 million vehicles.
Exemplary quality from Eisenach plant
From 1991 to the present day, around 1.5 billion euros have been invested in the
construction and expansion of the plant. The facility has won several awards for its
exemplary quality standards and environmental management, as well as the Thuringia
Quality Prize in 1999. The plant operates a three-shift system, which begins with the night
shift at 10 p.m. on Sunday night and ends with the late shift at 10 p.m. on Friday night.
GM GMS: Exemplary production methods
The Eisenach plant is one of the most productive facilities in the General Motors group.
The fundamentals of lean production were implemented right from the start. General
Motors’s Global Manufacturing System – GM GMS for short – was first introduced here.
The system, combining strict quality standards with high productivity, is based on five key
concepts: Built-in-Quality, Standardization, Continuous Improvement, Short Lead Time and
People Involvement. The Opel plant in Eisenach is a global role model for GM and an
important training center. Since 1993, more than 15,000 employees have visited the plant
and learned about state-of-the-art, sustainable production processes in individual training
sessions. In honor of this achievement, the facility and its employees received the GM
Chairman’s Honors Award in 2004 for their excellent implementation of GM GMS.
Thuringia automotive cluster
Other vehicle and vehicle component manufacturers have established themselves in the
region over the past years – from mid-size operations to large companies.
Catalytic convertor producer Emitec built a plant in Hörselberg, near Eisenach, and many
other supplier companies such as Lear, AKTec, EDAG, FER and Automotive Lighting have
followed suit. The neighboring region has also benefited, with the Borbet Group building a
modern alloy wheel plant in nearby Bad Langensalza.
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The most important producers and suppliers in Thuringia’s automotive sector are members
of the ‘automotive thüringen e.V.’ association. The 105 member companies, including
Adam Opel GmbH, employ around 18,000 people and generate a total annual turnover of
around 2.5 million euros.
Economic significance of Opel plant in the region
Today, the region and state are among the most modern and productive
automobile/supplier centers in the European economy, while the city of Eisenach and the
surrounding district of Wartburg represent one of the most economically strong areas in
eastern Germany. In December 2007, the average unemployment level in Germany’s five
eastern states was 13.7 percent. In Thuringia it was 11.8 percent. The city of Eisenach
however, had an unemployment rate of just 11.1 percent, and only 8.5 percent in the
Wartburg district – one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state.
In the economic report for the first half of 2007, the Thuringia Ministry of Economics wrote:
“The economic sectors with the largest turnovers were motor vehicle and automotive
component producers (1.9 billion euros in turnover), the food industry (1.4 billion euros),
the metal-goods industry (1.2 billion euros), manufacturers of equipment for electrical
power generation (1.15 billion euros) and rubber and plastic goods producers
(1.1 billion euros). These five sectors accounted for over half of the industry’s entire
turnover in the first half of 2007. Top districts for turnover were the city of Eisenach with
1.22 billion euros, the district of Wartburg with 1.17 billion euros and the district of Gotha
with 1.1 billion euros.”
Thuringia’s higher education layout
The study programs offered at five universities and four universities of applied sciences in
Thuringia clearly reflect the importance of the automotive industry. Students can choose
from many technical courses such as engineering, electrotechnology, computer sciences
and mechatronics. A quarter of students in Thuringia follow an automobile-related course
of study. The universities of cooperative education have taken steps to tie their theoretical
training even more closely to practical training. The University of Cooperative Education in
Eisenach, for example, offers engineering courses with specialization in vehicle system
technology or mechatronics and automation.
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Overview of Opel plant in Eisenach (last updated: December 31, 2007)
Ground broken
February 7, 1991
Plant opened
September 23, 1992
Production 1990 to 1992
15,000 Vectra A
Production since 1992
21,719 Astra F
933,039 Corsa B
273,264 Astra G
627,088 Corsa C
240,175 Corsa D
Current production
185,000 Corsa D p.a.
Plant site
656,538 m2
Developed land
111,944 m2
Investment since 1991
1,500,000,000 euros
Employees
1750 including 30 apprentices
Average age
42.5 years
Hours worked per week
38 hours in three-shift system
- ISO 9002 quality seal (1994, 1997)
- Quality management standard DIN EN ISO 9001:2000
(2000, 2003)
- Environmental certification according to EU Eco Audit
regulation ISO 14001 (1997, 2000)
- Environmental management standard DIN EN ISO 14001
(1997, 2003, 2005)
Environmental certification
Management
Leo Wiels, Chairman of Management Board
Head of Works Council
Harald Lieske, Chairman (17 members, four permanent)
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About General Motors
General Motors, or GM for short, is the largest automaker in the world. It was founded by
William C. Durant in Detroit/Michigan, USA in 1908. The group’s turnover in 2006 was
207.3 billion US dollars (around 150 billion euros). GM currently produces vehicles in
33 countries on all continents and employs around 280,000 people. The Cadillac, Corvette,
Saab, HUMMER, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, Saturn, Chevrolet and GM
Daewoo brands are sold in 200 countries. The group’s global market share stands at
around 13.5 percent. G. Richard Wagoner Jr. is General Motors’ Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO).
About General Motors Europe
General Motors Europe (GME) is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It is responsible for
the US-based group’s European brands and plants. GME employs around
64,500 people in eleven production locations in eight countries. The Cadillac, Saab,
HUMMER, Opel/Vauxhall, Chevrolet and Corvette brands are available in Europe, where
GME currently has a market share of 9.5 percent. Total sales in 2007 came to around
2.2 million units. This was 59,300 vehicles more than in the same period of 2006 – an
increase of 11.3 percent. Carl-Peter Forster is President of GME.
About Adam Opel GmbH
Adam Opel founded the famous German company in 1862 in Rüsselsheim. It has built cars
since 1899 and has belonged to General Motors since 1929. Its headquarters are still in
Rüsselsheim. Opel also has plants in Bochum, Kaiserslautern and Eisenach, and employs
around 27,000 people. Opel Managing Director is Hans Demant.