The old BAE building on Taylor Street, just south of downtown Fort Wayne, has been unoccupied since 2015. But right now, you’ll notice that the parking lot is occupied by security officers and scores of Chevy Silverados and GMC Sierras.
Due to a global semiconductor chip shortage, the General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly Plant is storing incomplete vehicles in the lot.
Several GM plants around the country are utilizing this same process to mitigate the effects of the shortage.
Semiconductors are essential for virtually all electronic devices, and increased demand for consumer electronics, especially over the last year, have created a shortage of these components.
According to Fort Wayne GM spokeswoman Stephanie Jentgen Mack, workers at the Fort Wayne plant have not yet experienced layoffs or significant cuts in their hours or shifts due to the shortage. So far, the shortage has caused the cancelation of one scheduled overtime day.
Jentgen Mack says that because this is a global, industry-wide challenge they do not know when the issue will be resolved.
In its Q4 earnings report GM discussed possible implications of the shortage, warning that it could cut its earnings by up to $2 billion dollars this year.