Joe Spielman to Retire After 43 Years of Distinguished Service

[Rob]

FOR RELEASE: 2006-10-17
Source: GM Media

DETROIT – Joe Spielman, GM vice president of North America assembly and stamping operations, will retire Feb. 1, 2007, after 43 years of distinguished service to the world’s largest automaker.

“Joe has had an outstanding career with GM,” Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said in announcing Spielman’s retirement today. “His leadership has been a significant factor in GM’s ongoing improvements in safety, quality, productivity and strong relationships with our unions, and his enthusiasm and passion were infectious to all who came in contact with him.”

Spielman’s responsibilities will be assumed by Tim Lee, GM North America vice president of manufacturing.

Spielman has operational responsibility for GM’s assembly and metal stamping plants in North America. Before he was appointed to that post in January 2005, he had been GM vice president and general manager of vehicle manufacturing with responsibility for North American assembly plants since 2003.

Spielman joined GM in 1963 at the former Fisher Body plant in Flint, Mich., as a General Motors Institute intern. After holding several supervisory and management positions at the plant, he was named plant manager in 1980. The following year, he became manager of the former Fisher Body Metal Fabricating plant in Marion, Ind.

Spielman subsequently held management positions with the former Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada Group. In 1991 he was named vice president and general manager of the former Rear Drive Automotive Division and, in 1992, of the former Midsize Car Division. He was appointed to head the Metal Fabricating Division and Manufacturing Center in October 1994.

Born in New York City, Spielman was raised in Trimont, Minn. He holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from GMI, and he completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
Spielman is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers. He also is president of The Hundred Club of Flint Inc., and is an executive for Kettering University, formerly GMI. Spielman was elected to the Engineering Society of Detroit College of Fellows and was inducted into the National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame in 2001.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.


CONTACT(S):
Daniel Flores
248-753-2099 (office)
313-418-2374 (cell)
Daniel.Flores@gm.com

[Rob]

A lot of folks are unaware of who Joe Spielman is and why he was important to Corvette. Below is a little more insight into Joe and what he did at GM:

From the Bowling Green Performance Press, July 14, 2006:
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This past Monday, GM Vice-President and General Manager Joe Spielman flew down from Michigan to get Bowling Green Assembly updates from plant leadership. While here, Joe also took delivery of his 37th Corvette, a 2007 Velocity Yellow Z06. The picture at left describes how the tall Texan felt about his latest ‘Vette...and about the efforts of plant employees. “Thanks,” Joe stated, “For building the car of my dreams!”

Joe also relayed how much Mrs. Spielman loves her XLR. “It [XLR] is a world-class car, and I encourage 2007 XLR owners, please, if you receive a J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, send it in.” XLR was only six surveys short in order to have its results officially included in this year’s J.D. Power survey.

Accompanying Joe on the trip was friend and GM retiree Mike Juntumen and GM pilot Howard Rundell. Howard, as many will recall, picked up his own Corvette Coupe April 12. Since then, he and wife Jacquie have traveled 9,100 trouble-free miles driving from Michigan to Georgia and Colorado.

Joe shared that he occasionally wears a “Bury Me in a Corvette” t-shirt. When friends ask, “Are you serious,” Joe replies, ”Absolutely, because I’m not entirely certain where I’m going, and whether it’s heaven or hell, I know I’ll have something decent to drive.”

All jokes aside, what we are certain of is that, to the people and products of Bowling Green Assembly, Joe Spielman has always been a (patron) saint. And to that, the Corvette community shouted, “Amen!” Joe Spielman gives thumbs up in his new Velocity Yellow Z06.
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From the Bowling Green Press, November 2005:

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Last Wednesday we had a special visit from Manufacturing Vice President and General Manager Joe Spielman and his staff including Stamping Manufacturing Manager James Deluca, Stamping Manufacturing Manager James Hresko, our Vehicle Manufacturing Manager Gerald Johnson, Executive Director of Manufacturing Supply Operations William Kala, Vehicle Manufacturing Manager Larry Zahner, and Vehicle Manufacturing Human Resources Director Cheri Jones. While touring the plant, the group received updates on various programs and changes underway.

During a PMN luncheon, Joe Spielman spoke of GM’s financial situation and stressed the urgency of employees on an individual level assisting the company to cut costs.

“We’ve all got to start running the business just like it was our own family business. Every dollar counts now,” Spielman said to the group of supervisors.

Spielman is very excited about ordering his new Z06. He has owned 35 Corvettes, all of which were red except for three. He said his Z06 will be yellow because he believes yellow shows off the Z06 better. “When it comes down the line, I’ll be here myself to drive it off,” he said.

Spielman and his staff were impressed with the plant and commented on the improvements seen in multiple areas over the past year. They also spoke highly of the workforce and the talent we have at Bowling Green Assembly.

[Rob]

Joe Spielman Retires
Bowling Green Press
October 27, 2006

Six feet, five inches tall. Infectious wit and humor. A mind for business. A passion for Corvettes. Remind you of anyone? That’s right; the one and only Joe Spielman.

GM Vice President of North America Assembly and Stamping Operations Joe Spielman recently announced his retirement for February 1, 2007 after 43 years of service with GM. The Minnesota native joined GM in 1963 as a General Motors Institute (GMI) cooperative student sponsored by the Fisher Body plant in Flint, Michigan. Following his graduation with a BS in mechanical engineering in 1968, Joe held various supervisory positions in plant engineering, maintenance and manufacturing before being named the plant manager at Fisher Body in Flint in 1980.

A year later, Joe became the plant manager of Marion Stamping and laterserved as the director of manufacturing engineering and then as a manufacturing manager at the former Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada Group (C-P-C). He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in 1991 and was appointed GM vice president and general manager of GM’s Rear Drive Automotive Division the same year. He also held the positions of vice president and general manager of Midsize Car Division, Metal Fabricating Division and Vehicle Manufacturing before his current assignment, which he began in January 2005.

With a long history of working closely with Bowling Green Assembly, Joe has developed and nurtured not only business relationships, but personal friendships as well. He doesn’t walk through the plant without offering warm smiles, friendly handshakes, and strong hugs – all genuine. On occasion he’s even sent personal notes to floor employees who made a lasting impression on him.

Joe doesn’t just wear his Corvette pride during his plant visits here, though. He’s widely known to wear Corvette attire (shirts, jackets, etc.) at work, at home, and at GM events. When asked why, he responded, “You live what you love.” With a wardrobe stocked with Corvette logos (11 Corvette leather jackets, 12 other Corvette jackets, and more than 60 Corvette shirts), Joe bleeds Corvette pride, no matter where he is.

Joe says he’s seen the Corvette come from a car on the verge of extinction become a world-class sports car known all over the world. With a heart for Corvette, Joe has been recognized for keeping the Corvette alive in 1992 when so many had forgotten what the car really meant and what it could do for the company.

To learn more about Joe’s critical role in keeping the Corvette alive and at Bowling Green Assembly, take a look at James Schefter’s All Corvettes Are Red.

According to the book, in a meeting to decide whether to re-engineer the C4 to meet new federal side-impact standards, here were Joe’s statements:

“‘That leaves us with three choices. We can spend the money on the current car, we can just close the plant and have no Corvettes to sell anymore, or we push ahead with the new car. The first two choices are big losers. The new Corvette makes a profit. We’re doing the car as a ’97.’ Nobody in the room doubted him. ”

Joe says his most memorable plant trip was in 1994 when he told plant employees the C5 had not only been approved by the Board of Directors to be built, but that it would be built here at Bowling Green Assembly.

Joe stated he will miss the people at GM the most. “It’s very simple,” Joe said, “Anybody can buy equipment and build cars. But GM people…they’re so outstanding in everything they do.” To plant employees, Joe says, “Thank you for all you’ve done for Corvette. Never, never stop improving the car. Never, never stop being the heart and soul of Corvette.”

Joe leaves with the reassurance that the Corvette is in good hands. “I know that everyone at GM, from the engineers to the people who build it, will continue their relentless pursuit of making the car better and better. Performance Cars Vehicle Line Executive
Tom Wallace has the right passion for the job, and Plant Manager Wil Cooksey is the personification of dedication, devotion, and understanding of the Corvette and how to manage a plant that builds world class cars,” Joe said. “The legend lives. May it live for many, many years.”

Besides traveling out West, driving his Corvettes, and spending quality time with his family in his retirement, Joe says he has plans
to purchase a 1960 Corvette, his 38th Corvette, and have it restoredm to an exact replica of the first Corvette he owned.

Thank you, Joe, for your guidance, friendship, and most of all, for being a diehard advocate for the Corvette – for believing in the car and for believing in the people.

[6 Shooter]

GM Vice President of North America Assembly and Stamping Operations Joe Spielman recently announced his retirement for February 1, 2007 after 43 years of service with GM.

The Minnesota native joined GM in 1963 as a General Motors Institute (GMI) cooperative student sponsored by the Fisher Body plant in Flint, Michigan. He was inducted into the Museum’s Corvette Hall of Fame in 2001 and has been a part of many Museum events and functions. Joe leaves with the reassurance that the Corvette is in good hands. “I know that everyone at GM, from the engineers to the people who build it, will continue their relentless pursuit of making the car better and better. Performance Cars Vehicle Line Executive Tom Wallace has the right passion for the job, and Plant Manager Wil Cooksey is the personification of dedication, devotion, and understanding of the Corvette and how to manage a plant that builds world class cars,” Joe said. “The legend lives. May it live for many, many years.” Besides traveling out West, driving his Corvettes, and spending quality time with his family in his retirement, Joe says he has plans to purchase a 1960 Corvette, his 38th Corvette, and have it restored to an exact replica of the first Corvette he owned.