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“We are in a strong position going forward, but it is sad day for workers in Oshawa,” he said.

GM announced it is closing the Oshawa plant, cutting nearly 3,000 jobs, as car sales dwindle. It is part of a global restructuring that will see GM shutter five plants across North America.

As for the impact among parts suppliers in London and area, it is expected to be minimal with few manufacturers here supplying Oshawa in larger volumes.

However, Magna International has three parts plants in St. Thomas and London, Formet, Presstran and Qualtech, which supply GM. Magna officials Monday were still gauging the impact.

“We aren’t commenting on any potential impact right now. There are still so many moving pieces and things are unknown at this time,” said Tracy Fuerst, communications director, Magna.

In June, Formet celebrated a deal to provide parts for GM trucks assembled in the U.S., the richest deal in its history, that plant officials said at the time will keep about half of its 1,300 workers employed.

Mitigating the impact on suppliers throughout Southwestern Ontario is the fact that production at the Oshawa plant has been decreasing, as car sales slump in favour of crossovers and trucks, said Steve Rodgers, of GS Global Solutions, an automotive consultancy firm.

“The volumes have been falling. I think most suppliers were expecting this,” he said.

GM has said the Impala would not be manufactured after 2019 due to low sales volumes, he said.

“It won’t be significant for the Southwestern Ontario environment, but it is devastating for Oshawa.”

Rodgers was former director of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association and believes few regional suppliers feed the Oshawa plant.

“It is getting tougher and tougher to sell cars,” he said.

Jim Wilkes, an official with Unifor Local 27, representing many parts workers across the city and area, agreed GM Oshawa is not a significant presence here.

“This came out of the blue, it was not on our radar. We don’t really know what to expect out of this right now,” said Wilkes.