(Published Thursday, August 2, 2007 11:30:11 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Gazette Staff
The dissolution of a sales partnership Wednesday between Isuzu Motors and General Motors won't affect production of Isuzu trucks at the GM plant in Janesville, GM spokesperson Mary Fanning said.
On Wednesday, Tokyo-based Isuzu began handling sales, service and marketing of its trucks through its own subsidiaries, ending a joint effort that had existed since 2000.
GM's Janesville assembly plant, the only one nationwide that assembles Isuzu's gas model NPR truck sold under GM and Isuzu dealers, will maintain its operations because the defunct deal didn't apply to manufacturing, Fanning said.
"Our assembly is not at all impacted," she said.
Isuzu's announcement actually came on the same day the Janesville plant hosted a celebration with GM, Isuzu and United Auto Workers leaders for the coming release of the 2008 NPR truck, Fanning said.
Janesville's plant assembled 5,793 of the cab-forward, medium-duty trucks in 2006 and employs 54 workers in their production, Fanning said.
