Saab: Getting Back to Business
By Michelle Krebs March 16, 2010Swedish automaker Saab is showing signs of life.
With its sale by General Motors to Dutch sports-carmaker Spyker complete, Saab now is setting up its North American shop away from GM headquarters, building its management team in Europe and preparing to build and sell cars again.
Saab and the state of Michigan announce Tuesday that Saab is establishing its new U.S. headquarters away from GM's headquarters in downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center. Saab will make its home in Royal Oak, Michigan, a Detroit suburb known for its restaurants and nightlife that attract young people. Government agencies granted Saab tax breaks to stay in Michigan. Saab now employs 60, a number expected to grow to 160 over the next four years.
On Monday, Saab named GMAC Financial Services as its preferred provider fo dealer financing and retail loans and leases to customers.
In Europe, the automaker reached outside of its ranks to hire a new sales chief. Adrian Hallmark, who has worked for Lotus, Volkswagen and Bentley in posts around the globe including Asia and the U.S., was named executive director of sales for Saab Automobile. He will be headquartered in Sweden.
Hallmark most recently was Volkswagen's executive director of Asia. Before that, he did a stint in Detroit at Volkswagen of America, and he headed Bentley's global sales, marketing and public relations activities. He also served as Lotus' chief in the United Kingdom.
Hallmark, who will report directly to Saab President and CEO Jan Ake Johnsson, will oversee the global relaunch of the Saab brand and its existing models as well the introduction of Saab's new 9-5 sedan, 9-5 Sport Combi wagon and 9-4X crossover, coming over the next 16 months.
Earlier this month, Saab announced 2010 North American pricing as Saab's factories in Sweden gear up to build vehicles again. The factories had been idled as part of GM's planned wind-down of Saab, which ended with its sale to Spyker.
The 2010 models will arrive in U.S. dealer showrooms later this month. Prices on all 9-3 models have been reduced from 4 to 12 percent from 2009, said Saab Cars North America President and COO Mike Colleran. -- Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst and Editor at Large
Photo by Saab
Saab introduces the new 9-5 sedan in the coming months.
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