A white Chevy Colorado rolled off the Shreveport assembly line Tuesday afternoon, the last of 4,853,000 million vehicles built since 1981.
The final product precedes by two days the official closing date for the plant that has produced trucks and some sports utility vehicles for the past 31 years. A little more than 300 of the 800 employees still working at the plant were on hand, said Shreveport plant spokesperson Donna McLallen. At the employees request, media was barred from the plant during the final days.
Some workers will remain on hand over the next several weeks as part of the decommissioning of the plant before it is turned over to a special entity -- Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust -- that will market the plant site. GM officially must present a 90-day notice of intent to vacate before RACER takes over. RACER was created out of GM's bankruptcy agreement.
The final Colorado is not destined for a museum but to a buyer, though McLallen wasn't sure if it is part of a fleet purchase or destined for a truck dealer somewhere in the United States.
McLallen said the local GM plant has "one final contribution'' to be made to the local community, but said details wouldn't be released until Wednesday.
Remaining employees at the plant have retired, transferred to another plant or taken a "separation package.''