Posted on 07/17/2006 5:57:40 AM PDT by JamesP81
The current CEO of Nissan is also the CEO of Renault. He draws two salaries and hops around from one company to the other. He has turned Nissan around to profitability and has Renaut on the same track. He is described as having boundless energy and near genius for getting good things accomplished.
There was a very long article in Forbes detailing his actions and accomplishments.
Krekorian knows this and is hoping some of the magic might rub off on the stodgy management at GM.
Case in point:
Forbes putting out a video clip discussing the "worst american cars". The criteria were very fair - several categories based on objective criteria, such as safety features, mpg, depreciation, worst emissions, etc.
The problem is that there was no "worst foreign cars" segment - and many of those categories would have been dead heats if you had foreign cars included. The lack of this and the singling out of american cars only perpetuates perceptions...
And since when did poor resale value make a car a bad car? If you care about saving money, you keep the car until its wheels fall off.
The *AVERAGE* car will last 14 years. Most Ford vehicles are average, according to Consumer Reports (so was the Camry until recently, btw). Who cares what the value is after 3 years if it lasts 14? Or if you buy used, and you get it after 3 years and it lasts 14, the higher the depreciation during those 3 years, the better. Sometimes that is an indicator of poor quality, sometimes it isn't. Forbes dinged the Crown Vic for depreciation. Of course, it is also one of the most reliable vehicles on the market (they've had plenty of practice) and one of the safest. That makes it a great used car deal...
Ha! Only 25 over? I've tried driving through Detroit before - I'd swear some radio DJ's must have been screaming "GREEN! GREEN! GREEN!" over the radio.
I felt safer and more in control doing 110 down the Autobahn. :)
You haven't lived until you've experienced a bumper to bumper traffic jam moving at 90 mph.
Cost of employment has nothing to do with what a worker sees in his paycheck-it's what it costs to employ workers. That includes vacation, pensions, and medical for current employees, as well as retirees. You can assert that it's not about unions, and that "major" companies are no longer providing health care, pensions, etc. The reporting on the auto industry over the past year, much less the past 30 years, contradicts that.
What's more, don't get me started on work rules...DCX is basing the location on their new engine plant, not on taxes, incentives, etc., but work rules.
Say/believe what you want, but don't expect anyone else to go along on your fantasy.
Eligible models must have a domestic-parts-content rating of 75 percent or more, the minimum federal standard for a car to be labeled domestic.
Wasn't the commute into Detroit great? You'd see that sea of brake lights light-up all at once and your first reaction was to check your rearview mirror and the second was to check the shoulder for an escape route. Or was it the other way around? I don't remember.
I don't want to paint with a broad brush. I would hate to be in middle management at any of the Big Three. Ultimately it's the organizational structure and processes that determine how productive any given employee is...and it's a joke.
Same applies for the plants. The big advantage the transplants have? Work rules. Their profitability is directly tied to the absence of the UAW.
The prez of the UAW gave an interview last week...he said there would probably be a strike at Delphi. From his point of view, the UAW had bent over backward by allowing Delphi and GM to buy out ~~40,000 employees. He says that should take care of any cost issues for GM, but especially for Delphi.
They live on another planet where insanity is rewarded. That planet will blow up very soon.
Yes, they must have ratings of 75% or more - but they combined the content with sales for that list. It isn't a list based on domestic content only. In other words, those aren't the "10 most domestic models".
It's a list of the best-selling vehicles with a domestic-content of 75% or more, yes.
Short term Ford will have to deal with the change in the market for F150s and Explorers, both high-volume models. Long term, I don't think we're looking at $3/gal gasoline. It's tough to justify revamping an entire model line to address a short term issue.
Long term Ford will have to profitably build cars here, and improve the mileage of existing SUVs and trucks. Hopefully revamping contracts and plants will make that possible.
Ford may be a good speculative investment.
"Ford may be a good speculative investment."
That's what I thought with Mark Fields in charge and the news that has come out.
But I don't have the spare cash out there to play in the stock market outside of retirement accounts (limited choices) and very safe investments. But they are lining themselves up to be a decent speculative choice....
They had a job fair at Delphi...jobs between $12.00 and $15.00 per hour and no benefits. My husband told me thousands of Delphi workers showed up. I am sick and tired of hearing about the union. My husband is management. The union guys made a good salary but no where near what is popularly believed. Also, Assembly plant work is complicated these days-computers etc. Many of the guys are educated. I don't know why some on this board hate union workers who are just trying to take care of their families. They are Americans too and have been given a raw deal especially at Delphi. For all of you, it could happen to you also. Delphi was bought out. It could happen to any of us. In the long run paying people garbage money and not providing benefits will lead to more social programs such as socialized medicine. One of the strengths of our country has always been the middle class. We could afford to buy the products we manufactured. The unions - in their day - made this possible. They fought for better pay and benefits. Granted, they got a little greedy as time went on. However, look at CEO salaries. They are incredibly overpayed. Do we want to return to the sweat shops of by gone days? I say no. It is interesting to me to find out that some conservatives hate American business every bit as much as liberals do. Of course liberals know that before the socialized hell that America will become if these trends continue can not happen unless American business is destroyed.
The good news is that we are importing deflation.
BUMP
Good luck.
There has been talk that Toyota may also be interested in G.M., but have hesitated since it is not clear that Toyota management can see how to make the two corporations fit together.
I guess rational...is defined as agreeing with you. My husband works for GM as an engineer. I have seen first hand the abuses from foreign competitors. There is a 'free market' but it is not a fair market. The deck is heavily stacked against US companies. My position is simple. I do not believe it is in America's best interest to allow our manufacturing to be destroyed in the name of globalism. We are the only country that offers our Corporations no form of protection against foreign competitors. Our markets are wide open to all, but their market are not open to us. I have nothing against globalism, but everyone must play by the rules not just American companies.
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