The following is a transcript of a short video interview of Jan-Ake Jonsson, released by Saab today.
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Man with extremely smooth voice: Jan-Ake, it’s been 8 weeks since General Motors and Koenigsegg signed a non-binding agreement over the sale of Saab Automobile. Now it’s gone one step further?
Jan-Ake Jonsson: Well, I’m happy to report that General Motors and Koenigsegg Group have actually signed a Share Purchase Agreement, which is a milestone in the developing new ownership structure and whereas there are still some issues to resolve that will be resolved in the next few months, this is a very important step in order to secure a bright future for Saab.
MWESV: Crucially, does it mean there’s enough money on the table for a viable Saab in the future?
JAJ: Well, of course, it is that securing a new ownership structure, together with financial support from General Motors and the Swedish Government – we have secured the future for Saab and developments for Saab, going forward.
MWESV: Will the conclusion of this deal secure Saab’s future, and jobs for the future at Saab, which [are both] very important.
JAJ: Well, the good thing about the business plan that we have developed, together with the Koenigsegg Group, is that there will be a strong focus on the activities presently in Sweden, which is the development of our new vehicles, as well as the manufacturing of our new vehicles and that is, of course, good news for the Saab organisation.
MWESV: Obviously these negotiations have been through General Motors…..how involved have you and your team been in the process?
JAJ: We’ve been fortunate to be a part of this process from the beginning, from the time we developed the prospect as well as the presentation to different potential buyers, as well as during the negotiation and the development of the business plan and up to this date, we have – at different levels – been heavily involved in all the discussions taking place.
MWESV: Back in February, Saab filed for legal reorganisation under Swedish law. What happens to that process now?
JAJ: The current extension of the reorganisation expires on August 20th and we have decided that we will not prolong that. We see that we have achieved everything we set out to achieve in our reorganisation plan, related to dimensioning the orgnisation properly, creating a better balance between supply and demand, reducing our inventory as well as restoring our balance sheet by achieving a composition writing down our debts by 75%, so now is the time to exit the reorganisation as we have achieved all of these objectives.
MWESV: So, new owners, new organisation, reorganisation – what does the future hold for Saab?
JAJ: Well, I think the future is very exciting. First of all, in the short term, we’re happy to report that we have a production schedule that is full over the next 7-8 weeks. At the same time we’re also starting the launch of our new products, starting with the 9-3x this summer, followed on with the 9-5 and this is excellent news for Saab….going forward. We have been fortunate through this whole process, and I know also in the future, to have tremendous support from all the people involved in Saab – whether we talk customers, dealers, employees – and I think everyone’s happy we’ve taken another important step into securing the future. So, we have to continue to work on what remains to close this deal but for the time being, I’m very happy.
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