Honeoye Falls, N.Y.- The Honeoye Falls GM fuel cell plant is closing.
General Motors notified its employees Friday morning of the company’s plans to relocate the Honeoye Falls fuel cell activities to its Global Powertrain Engineering Headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan.
GM spokesperson, Kim Carpenter says this decision has significant business advantages. For example, it will enable GM to capitalize on synergies with the rest of the powertrain & vehicle organizations.
The majority of the GM employees will be offered the option to relocate in Michigan.
Carpenter says the company will maintain its focus on electrification solutions, which includes ongoing fuel cell development efforts and GM is fully committed to developing technologies to help its customers around the world use energy more efficiently and to reduce dependence on petroleum.
GM plans to continue to operate it fleet of Project Driveway Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles in select U.S. locations.
No word yet when the local facility will close.
The village mayor tells 13WHAM News the plant employs around 220 people.
In a statement, Mayor Richard Milne says, "The loss of this business affects the Village of Honeoye Falls in many ways. Certainly there will be some loss in tax revenues, but more importantly will be the loss of support the GM employees have provided to other businesses in the community. This is far more reaching than tax base revenues."
Sandy Parker, president & CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance calls this unfortunate news for the region.
"GM had a business decision to make," said Parker. "It needed to consolidate operations in a certain area to achieve efficiencies and be more productive. The fact that they chose to do that in Michigan rather than in Honeoye Falls tells me that we have to be even more urgent in our efforts to make changes in New York state that will help us be economically competitive."
13WHAM News will have live reports on this developing story coming up on 13WHAM News at 5 & 6.
