By Ilka Kopplin and Hendrik Varnholt
General Motors Co. (GM) has rebranded its European operations as
Opel Group and given the unit responsibility for all its European
operations, the company said on Monday.
The new European umbrella company includes many members of the
same management team that has run most of GM's European business
under the name Adam Opel AG.
The new company, effictive since the start of this month,
directs operations for the Opel and Vauxhall brands, as well as for
GM's Chevrolet and Cadillac brands in Europe. GM previously
announced it would focus its energies on developing the Opel and
Vauxhall brands in Europe.
"This reorganization is important for the execution of our
ten-year plan," said Opel Group Chairman Karl-Thomas Neumann in a
statement.
The image of GM's European subsidiary Opel has suffered
considerably over recent years, with dropping sales and heavy
losses since 2008. The company now aims to become profitable again
by 2016.
Write to Ilka Kopplin at ilka.kopplin@wsj.com and Hendrik
Varnholt at hendrik.varnholt@wsj.com
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