WASHINGTON — General Motors will slash 15 percent of its salaried and salaried contract staff, including 25 percent of its executives, and close five plants in North America, including one in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The White Marsh GM plant makes engines for Chevy Silverado and GMG Sierra full-size pickup trucks. It opened in 2000, and had a $135 million expansion in 2010 to add production of electric motors and components.
GM has not said how many are employed in White Marsh. The plant contributed $33.1 million in wages to Maryland in 2017.
GM will close an assembly plant and a transmission plant in Warren, Michigan, and assembly plants in Detroit and Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
GM says the job cuts and plant closings will increase its free cash flow by $6 billion by 2020.
It cites a decline in demand for cars and a shift to more trucks, SUVs and crossovers for the reorganization.
GM will close three plants outside of North America, including one in Gunsan, South Korea. It did not identify the other two plants.
General Motors will double resources for electric and autonomous vehicle programs over the next two years.
