Opel Eisenach to Continue Adding Weekend Shifts

VIENNA – Adam Opel will continue adding weekend production shifts at its plant in Eisenach, Germany, in the third quarter to keep up with customer orders.

“The utilization is good,” outgoing plant labor leader Harald Lieske tells the German news agency dpa. “There will likely be some additional shifts in the third quarter as well.”

The plant dropped one of three shifts at the beginning of January, but current plans call for two additional Saturday shifts per month. The main reason is customer demand for the Opel/Vauxhall Adam minicar.

The Eisenach facility, which employs some 1,600 people, also produces the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa small hatchback.

“Currently, we are manufacturing 36 cars per hour in Eisenach,” Lieske says. The Adam accounts for about two-thirds of the total production.