Working Mother Magazine Recognizes GM as Best for Hourly Workers 2013

May 9, 2013

Work life and family life can often be stressful by themselves. When putting the two together, working mothers may face the challenge of balance. General Motors understands this difficulty and has worked to create policies and programs for promoting women and a dynamic work life culture. Working Mother Magazine has recognized this dedication and recently named GM one of the dozen “Best Companies for Hourly Workers” for 2013.

As a company, General Motors goes the extra mile to make sure employees can exceed at their jobs without disrupting their family lives. From benefits to job-skills training, GM does not fall short in supporting hourly employees. “General Motors sets a standard of excellence for having not only work life programs and policies that supports this distinction, but for having a company culture that enables it to flourish,” said Ken Barrett, Chief Diversity Officer for General Motors.

Sponsored by Working Mother Magazine, General Motors was honored at The National Forum Supporting Hourly Workers in Maclean, VA. GM executives as well as hourly plant workers from Baltimore, Bowling Green and Spring Hill attended the ceremony and hosted media. Media had the opportunity to participate in a Twitter chat with Diana Tremblay, Vice President of GM North America Manufacturing and the chat turned out to be a great success. #GMWorkingMom was trending and reached over 1.1 million people while generating more than 6.5 million impressions.

GM Hourly employees at “The National Forum Supporting Hourly Workers” sponsored by Working Mother Magazine

Recognition as one of the best companies for hourly workers really sets GM apart from other corporations and proves that the company is dedicated to its employees. Be sure to check out the 2013 Working Mother “Best Companies for Hourly Workers” 2013 Executive Summary here.

Buick’s Business Continues to Grow – Tony DiSalle

April 25, 2013

To be successful, companies must innovate, and that’s what Buick has been doing now for 110 years. For Buick, 2013 is about bringing to market substantial innovation in the form of new products. Our newest vehicles include the luxury crossover Enclave, the Verano compact luxury sedan and the all-new Encore luxury small crossover. These vehicles are helping to positively influence the way Buick is seen by consumers.

What we are hearing from our customers is that they are drawn to Buick because of the new exterior styling and vehicle designs. We are also hearing that people love the way their Buick drives and they appreciate that they are still receiving the quality and value for which Buick has always been known. Because of these factors, we have seen significant growth in 2013 sales thus far.

Buick’s first quarter total sales in the U.S. were up 28% and March was the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases in sales to retail customers.

Leasing has doubled as a percentage of total sales in the last year. Part of this is due to the unique leasing offers we rolled out in March of 2012 as a key component of “Experience Buick” –The Experience Buick lease is a two-year term with a single monthly payment that includes SiriusXM satellite radio, OnStar Directions and Connections and routine maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations. It’s another way we aim to please customers and provide the quality service they expect from Buick.

At Buick, we are listening to consumers and creating vehicles with attributes that are important to them. Our new vehicles are beautiful, quiet, comfortable and loaded with innovative, purposeful technologies. The 2014 LaCrosse and Regal we introduced at the New York International Auto Show in March for example, include next generation IntelliLink infotainment and a host of advanced camera- and radar-based safety systems.

Customers are also noticing the value that Buick has to offer. Buick was recently named the Best Value Luxury Brand in Kelley Blue Book’s brand image awards as voted on by customers while visiting KBB.com.

Buick’s growth, fueled by the redesign of our complete lineup in the past few years, really puts the brand in a new light. However, with all of this change and innovation our dedication to providing customers with beautiful, high quality, comfortable, and luxurious vehicles remains the same.

Tony DiSalle became U.S. Vice President of Buick and GMC Marketingin 2011. In this position, he provides senior leadership and strategic direction for U.S. Buick and GMC marketing functions, including marketing, communications and product strategy.

GM Earns Award for Mitigating its Climate Impact | Chris Perry

April 22, 2013

This week, Chevrolet participated in the American Carbon Registry’s annual award event in San Francisco and accepted the Corporate Excellence Award on behalf of General Motors. This nonprofit organization sited GM’s demonstrated commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and mitigating climate impact.

Chevrolet Zone Manager Michael Stinson (right) accepts the American Carbon Registry’s Corporate Excellence Award from Nicholas Martin. The nonprofit organization recognized General Motors for its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and mitigating climate impact.

This is noteworthy considering that less than a month ago we were in Washington DC to receive an EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award, the organization’s highest level of recognition for corporate energy management.

People are taking notice of our company-wide commitment to the environment.

During the award ceremony, the American Carbon Registry mentioned GM efforts like reducing manufacturing emissions by 60 percent since 1990 and recycling 90 percent of our manufacturing waste. These are results we should all be proud of, even as we remain focused on continuous improvement.

They also sited our bold Chevrolet Carbon-Reduction Initiative, calling it one of the largest voluntary commitments to greenhouse gas reductions in U.S. history.

This initiative is an industry first and takes GM’s commitment to the environment a step beyond landfill-free leadership and ENERGY STAR recognition. It compliments Chevrolet’s other industry first, our Ecologic label, and goes beyond providing fuel-efficient and electrified vehicles. Our Carbon-Reduction Initiative is about getting consumers to see Chevrolet in a different light and connecting with our customers in a unique way…a way that directly impacts them and the communities in which they live and work.We’re making a difference with these investments in community-based projects that will reduce up to 8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.

Even though these announcements lead up to Earth Day, I’m grateful to work for a company who is dedicated to this planet and looks for new ways to conserve, reduce and recycle every day of the year. Thank you for your efforts to increase our sustainability and help us to leave a smaller footprint.

Chris is the U.S. Vice President, Chevrolet Marketing and a 25-year marketing veteran, with more than 20 years dedicated to the automotive industry. His career spans agency, research consulting and in-house experience working for major international automakers. Chris’ expertise includes strategic planning, creative development, media strategy and planning for general market, multicultural, interactive and dealer advertising, and integration across all communication disciplines.

General Motors Foundation Sponsors Detroit Stop of National Education Tour

April 19, 2013

To further its commitment to education, the General Motors Foundation sponsored the Detroit stop of the NBC News’ “Education Nation On-The-Road” tour.

Education Nation seeks to create a thoughtful, well-informed dialogue with policymakers, thought leaders, educators, parents and the public, in pursuit of the shared goal of providing every American with an opportunity to achieve the best education in the world.

Image via www.EducationNation.com

Last month, Detroit was the 2013 tour’s first stop. NBC News and WDIV Local 4 hosted a week of events and programming at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History designed to engage Detroit-area business and civic leaders, elected officials, educators, parents, and students to share information, exchange ideas and inspire change.

“Education is the primary area of focus for the GM Foundation and NBC News’ Education Nation On-the-Road provides a forum for us to join key stakeholders to share best practices and inspire real, systemic change in our schools,” said GM Foundation President Vivian Pickard. “From birth through college, the GM Foundation is committed to improving education and changing the lives of students.”

NBC chose to visit Detroit because of the challenges Michigan has faced in recent years as well as the resilience of the people here. The GM Foundation supported NBC News’ Education Nation last year in New York, taking five Buick Achievers to the first nationally televised Student Town Hall. However, this was the Foundation’s first time supporting the national tour. The Foundation worked closely with NBC News, encouraging them to come to Detroit to discuss all of the wonderful work going on in education locally.

“Michigan has many positive stories to tell,” said Pickard. “Our goal in participating was to bring a national spotlight to the education issues and solutions that are important to our state.”

NBC News’ Chelsea Clinton and Rehema Ellis moderated the many panels that discussed early learning, new options and approaches in K-12 schools, and the 21st Century workforce.

The national NBC correspondents were joined by WDIV anchors Devin Scillian, Rhonda Walker, Carmen Harlan and Steve Garagiola. Detroit public figures involved in the program, or in attendance, included Gov. Rick Snyder, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and Mary Barra, GM’s senior vice president of Global Product Development.

“GM is committed to education at all levels,” said Barra. “Successful communities require successful school systems and a consistent, sustained commitment to quality education from the outset.”

The Education Nation bus toured around the Detroit metro area, collecting roughly 35,000 new and gently used books for United Way for Southeastern Michigan. United Way will donate these books to its Early Learning Communities, as well as its partner hospitals and local high schools.

Buick Human Highlight Reel for the 2013 NCAA Tournament

April 12, 2013

When it comes to March Madness and the NCAA Tournament, the entire nation gets the basketball bug as it takes over the television, newspaper and even water-cooler talk at work. Buick and the NCAA showcase another topic during the tournament – people. The Buick Human Highlight Reel is an online collection and archive of short videos featuring former NCAA student-athletes whose greatest victories occur away from the game, where they apply their passion to serving those in need.

The Human Highlight Reel was born out of a simple idea: find stories that inspire and share them with the world. Now at http://www.ncaa.com/buick there are more than 40 videos that showcase the good that is being done for others.

From New York Yankee, Curtis Granderson and his initiatives to help inner-city children with education and baseball to former NFL receiver and world class skier, Jeremy Bloom making senior citizens wishes come true these stories all have one thing in common – former NCAA athletes using their dedication and abilities to do good.

Not only are Buick and the NCAA showcasing what well known former college athletes are doing to help others, they want to showcase as many stories as they can. Any former or current NCAA athlete can share their story and video online.

These stories all about bringing your “A” game whether it’s on the field or court or off. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s additions: