Busy factory!
December 7, 2011 in Editorial, News, SAAB Automobile AB, SaabsUnited Related
While things are moving quickly in stockholm with negotiations going on, the factory is in no way silent and empty. Today I got to do a quick visit inside the production plant and had the opportunity to talk to a lot of employees and also some production managers.
All I can say that the mood is fairly good and spirits are still high with the employees. And on probably the most important question that most people in the world are asking, how come that these people keep on going to work even though they have not yet been paid, the answer is simple: they feel a certain pride in the work that they do and they feel that it is the place where they are needed so that is where they have to be. They also feel that there are things they need to do, with the faith they have in Victor Muller and the management they feel that they have to do their part as well.
The factory is in no way silent, there is a huge amount of activity going on inside, I was a bit shocked to say the least with all the people running around going about their various jobs which mostly involves rebuilding the production line for a new lower production rate in order to accommodate the new businessplan as well as continuous improvements and re-structureings.
Work is also being done on preparation for the implementation of the 9-5 SportsCombi which is scheduled for a summer launch given that everything works out in stockholm. On a very interesting note, preparations for implementation of the 9-3 replacement has also started.
I have good faith in Victor Muller and the management working very hard up in stockholm, but seeing this amount of activity today inside the factory lifted my spirit about 1000% and if everything works out in Stockholm, which I have very high confidence in that it will, the guys at the production will deliver, because these guys are simply amazing at what they do!! I’m VERY optimistic about the future! =)
belgian_roadster from Eupen, DG said on December 7, 2011
THUMBS UP for the people in the factory. Thank you all for still beeing there. Long live to the SAAB spirit !
Piet-Hein Schlimme said on December 7, 2011
hmm…you’d almost start to believe that all the ‘negative news’ we read and hear on the Net is a mere decoy to cover up the negotiations and a final ‘yes, but’ from GM. i’m not a car-factory guy, but reading about the activities in the factory, makes me think we can expect some (relatively) good news today, or in the days to come..
fingers crossed!
OliverH said on December 7, 2011
Love to see Saabs running again from the production line. Hopefully this will the real deal.
Slobbomeister said on December 7, 2011
That’s just amazing. The people at SAAB is a true source of inspiration and a statue of true allegiance and loyalty. Griffin up, ready for take of, you rock. Let´s get busy!
M.A. said on December 7, 2011
There are the terms “Fordism” and “Toyotisme” (in French), both as social-technical systems of production. If this latest plan saves Saab then the term “Saabism” could really have a another meaning, perhaps something like “Indestructible”.
MrTinkertrain said on December 7, 2011
Amazing powers of the griffin is shown again!
Thank you all in Trollhattan! Keep the spirit going:)
As the passed Ronnie James Dio sang: “We Rock”
scand said on December 7, 2011
Nice to see an insight to what’s going on on the shop floor. Thanks
Carlo A said on December 7, 2011
+1
Griffin Up !!!!
exsaab said on December 7, 2011
Surely if your expecting to still be paid by the company, you still go into work and do something, even if its sweeping the floor! I have to say though, the parts bins on that production line look a bit on the empty side.
phermansson said on December 7, 2011
To be honest I was really tired of working there when I left eleven years ago. But when I read about the spirit there now I wish I was still there. Seems like a good place to work at, despite all. And that boss that made me not like it might not be there anymore…
dave said on December 7, 2011
Regards to all those brave people !
saabyurk said on December 7, 2011
Just as gold is refined by fire, leaving only pure gold, the remaining Saab employees are pure gold. Saab will restart production with employees who are the cream of the crop.
hilmar said on December 7, 2011
My deepest respect for all the people still working at the factory ! Seems to be an unique spirit all the time.
Troels, Denmark said on December 7, 2011
+++
kochje said on December 7, 2011
+1
Saab employees up
Management up
and pray they get this job done.
But above all indeed our deepest respect for you all.
SPG900NY said on December 7, 2011
Bravo. They’re showing a huge amount of faith. I hope it works out for them!!
welshwizard645 said on December 7, 2011
That red 9-3 is right hand drive – now if that was a UK-bound 9-3 Aero 2.0T with SatNav that would be my kind of car.
Come on people get that car built!!
mike saunders said on December 7, 2011
Am I the only one to notice that there are no people in that picture?
TimR said on December 8, 2011
Should there be? =)
Saabim said on December 7, 2011
Warmfull greetings to all employees in factory.
GrumpyGriffin said on December 7, 2011
I really do wish Saab all the best but one is left with the feeling that all this activity is just “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” lets hope I am wrong!
phermansson said on December 7, 2011
No VM will steer the ship to a safe harbour. The iceberg is heading for another target, it aims to sink a fat lady….
GrumpyGriffin said on December 7, 2011
Well it is easy to see that GM is the Iceberg, the rest I will put down to a triumph of a hot imagination over the cold hard ice of reality.
dog green said on December 7, 2011
They deserve all cred.
100% SAABISH!
Anna Derehag said on December 7, 2011
I just want to point out that even though the people at saab still are loyal and have faith in their company its not the whole truth. They cant refuse to go to work, it would be seen as “work rejection” and could in the end lead to them being fired. So the poeple working actually dont have a choice even though they didnt get paid…
Angelo V. said on December 7, 2011
Sure—-but I’ve known people in these situtations and it becomes a party atmosphere with absolutely no work getting done—-management and employees showing up and doing nothing. At least in this case, it sounds as though there is still some motivation on the part of the employees.
TimR said on December 8, 2011
The road from staying at home at this stage until being fired is VERY long!… At this stage if you are not being paid, nobody will blame you if you want to stay at home!
davidgmills said on December 7, 2011
Where are the workers? Production is stopped and it only looks like the lights are on.
Tripod said on December 7, 2011
Don’t be silly; it’s just a snapshot as a complement to the text; did you expect a running production line? There’s no need to include people on the images; and apart from that, it’s possible that he can’t take photos of everything at the moment.
Keith said on December 7, 2011
Usually a news headline and a news photograph are not in conflict. It is a nice photo of the factory though.
Tobbe said on December 7, 2011
Thumbs up to all employes!
Hope everything will work out in the end, but I cant feel so optimistic…
Saab need to get ride fo GM.
aki said on December 7, 2011
My big respect to the employees in the factory. I`ve decided not to get a heart attack
and see this Saab spirit through. It`s going to succede.
dickerin said on December 7, 2011
A refreshing story, especially amongst all of the others.
Angelo V. said on December 7, 2011
That really made my day. Look, none of us know for sure how this will end up. But the people most at risk are not us customers—-it’s the people who work at that plant—-in some cases, who are counting on Saab’s survival to put food on their family’s table. I can’t even imagine the stress and anxiety this is causing for the employees, considering how worried mere customers are over Saab’s future. To hear that they are reporting to work and actually trying to FOCUS on getting things done—-working under the assumption that production will start again—-planning for new models—-well, if they can be this strong, so can we.
Aero1 said on December 7, 2011
God Bless all of SAAB! I highly DOUBT any of this spirit, pride, or even faith is at GM!
ehallii said on December 7, 2011
God bless them, we Saab lovers and especially the Saab employees have been on the roller coaster from Hades,
DUTCH900C said on December 7, 2011
For everybody who works for SAAB and/or a solution for the situation by SAAB:
Thumbs up and go for it.
For the people who make the negotiations impossible or (very) difficult:
Don’t think twice, three times, but a lot of hundred(tousend) times before you do what you are doing and don’t forget that when you have made a (lot of) decision(s) so that SAAB can’t excist antymore, in the future that decision/those decisions will follow you, perhaps not one way, then another way! So you are warned!
74StingSaab said on December 7, 2011
Using my lunch break to drive home, gobble down a sandwich and read SU…. well worth the trip!
Now, back to work where I am blocked from SU. Some of my long time friends know that “back in the day” I used to spend a good bit of my workday here on SU.
terry9000k said on December 7, 2011
Well the lights are on, so they must have paid some bills….?!
Radu said on December 7, 2011
Yesss! Nothing is finished until the fad lady sings! I said it 2 years ago and i say it now! Thumbs up for the trolls!
Carl-Henrik said on December 7, 2011
I would love to see that line start moving again.
Paddan said on December 8, 2011
Godspeed to them.
steveNdeb said on December 8, 2011
Thank-you Trollhattan workers and management. For whatever reasons you are there at the factory … at least you are there keeping the doors open and the lights on.
WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
My wife and I purchased a 2011 9-5. Many of our friends gave a word of “caution” … but it’s styling, innovation and quality won us over and far exceeded our expectations.
WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
In tribute to Saab and to honor the heritage and country of origin, our 9-5 license plate reads “SVENSKA”
WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
Saab is facing the same situation that a similar American automobile company faced in 1948. This company was filled with innovation and spirit. The company was Tucker Automobile. It is widely thought that the “Big 3″ American manufacturers had no intentions of watching it succeed.
WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
Our personal plea to the Swedish government: Don’t Let Saab Fail! The United States Government stepped in to save Chrysler, Harley-Davidson and yes, even GM. They stepped in to save banks that were “too big to fail”. Why not save a company that is “too small to fail”! Sweden … Saab is your heritage. It is your spirit.
WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
Nate 9-3 said on December 8, 2011
Amazing! Of all of the things that the SU crew has posted in the last several months, this one really got to me emotionally. SAAB employees are the best. Hands down.