History of General Motors in Michigan Flint (Essay Sample)

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HISTORY OF GENERAL MOTORS IN MICHIGAN FLINT
The General Motors Flint’ Renaissance Center was based in Detroit, Michigan, this was the global headquarter of the famous motor vehicle manufacturers. The company often referred to as either GM or GMC. However, according to the global automotive sales, GM is ranked second based on annual sales. The essay will be based on the history of the General Motors Michigan Flint.
Founded on Wednesday, September 16, 1908; Flint, Michigan in U.S.A.as a holding company for Buick. GMC or GM was a source of income for about 284,000 people globally by then (Pelfrey 06). The company manufactures trucks and cars in 33 countries with chances of expansion to other countries due to economies of scale (Pelfrey 10). This is healthy for any vibrant and viable business enterprise. The car and truck brands that the company is specialized in include but not limited to; Daewoo, Cadillac, Holden, Hummer, Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Opel, Vauxhall, Saab and Saturn (Hyde 13).
When the company was one year old, it attained other companies like Reliant motor trucks and Rapid motor vehicle companies of Owosso and Pontiac respectively in Michigan (Hyde 16). The company continues with expansion and acquisition of other automotive companies the same year. Come 1910, the ever growing list of companies gained continued with inclusion of Rainier and Welch in the ever growing list. This was a reprieve to the employees who were certain that they would continue working for the company especially at the headquarters in Michigan Flint (Heitmann 12).
The first fiscal year the company realized a booming sale in 1909. About 25,000 cars and trucks were sold, a net sale of $29,030,000 was realized with a total of 14, 000 employees (Pelfrey 29). However, the tremendous progress did not continue just as did happen to other companies in the motor vehicle manufacturing sector, though aspect of time would be the variable to distinguish the trend and duration of involvement and operations of GM in Michigan (Dandaneau 18).
With decline in business and the number of company in Michigan, GM, Flint, birthplace families and friends were filled with anxiety about the situation of the famous rich town that used to be their source of income. This follows vacation of more than 40% of business and household premises. The state of mind was unpredictable since it was difficult and still is, to stay in an abandoned estate or city (Pelfrey 11).
To many, it was ironical that the company that invented “planned obsolescence” would fall apart after being vibrant for just a few years; many questions posed by customers and employees of the company were left unanswered about what might have gone wrong with the company management (Hyde 14). The lucrative automobile company stubbornly fought environmental safety regulations. The company executives ignored the inferior companies like German and Japanese with arrogance not realizing that such companies would depict golden standards sought by automobile customers globally (Pelfrey 08).
In order for GM to overtake Toyota Japan in the American market, they have to ensure that they market their products properly to generate much profit though this is only possible through strategic plan that would override the products and services provided by their competitors. This is a long term plan (Dandaneau 17).
The writing was on the walls that the lucrative company, “GM” was in the verge of punishing its workforce. The company loped off thousands of employees without tangible season for doing so, but just to “improve” the bottom-line of corporation in short-term basis (Pelfrey 30). However, as from 1980s during the posting of profit records, GM moved countless jobs to Mexico and other branches, fully abandoning Michigan, a fact that greatly destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of energetic, dedicated and hardworking Americans (Hyde 22).
Senseless glaring stupidity of the GM policy was showcased through elimination of numerous families from the middle class, which formed the buyers’ class for their cars. Now, the question that many pondered about was the source of customers for the GM cars (Heitmann 53). The same blunder would remain a history just as the “Romans obliviously poisoned their own water with lead in its pipes”. So, this was the deathbed of a corporation (GM) that ruined Michigan, brought misery, alcoholism, drug addition, divorce, homelessness and both mental and physical debilitation to age mates, employees, ...