 |
|
|
COFES Blog
Jan
13
Written by:
Russ Henke
1/13/2009 7:00 AM
Further to previous blog entries in this space concerning the debate over the US government helping the Big 3 US auto companies weather the current recession,
comes the following news from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers:
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan 11 /PRNewswire/ -- If the Detroit Three gradually disappeared, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, the Koreans, and the Chinese would eventually fill the gap. In "Factory Man," a new autobiography being published in February 2009 by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME; http://www.sme.org), author James E. Harbour says there is an even greater long-term risk. Profits from the American auto industry would largely be sent overseas, and millions of shareholders would go broke. Worse, the foreign companies would keep their major engineering operations at home.
In his book "Factory Man," Harbour says what America needs right now is a good jolt of the power of the factory.
During recent Washington hearings, he viewed elected officials playing a game of liquidation roulette with the Big 3 without realizing the risk of:
-- Europe, Japan and Korea dominating the American market.
-- China becoming a far stronger, major competitor.
-- Product development will take place overseas and engineering students
at American universities may be forced to go abroad to find jobs.
-- A majority of major capital investments, such as stamping press lines,
body shops, and engine and transmission tools, going to foreign
countries.
-- Foreign manufacturers expanding in southern right-to-work states.
-- The profits of foreign manufacturers from their American operations
will flow back to their home countries.
-- Vehicle prices rising because of diminished competition.
-- Little attention being paid to the real possibility that Detroit will
recover and repay government loans.
-- The prospect of losing Detroit's historically large support for major
charities and foundations, along with actions such as the "Get America
Moving" vehicle price cuts that followed the September 11, 2001 attacks
and weren't offered by foreign competitors of GM, Ford and Chrysler.
Book Purchase: To purchase a copy of Factory Man, available February 2009, visit http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/get-item.pl?BK09PUB2&2&SMEwww.sme.org/factoryman. List price is $30.00/SME Members: $26.00, order code BK09PUB2. Orders also may be placed by calling 800.733.4763. Outside the U.S., please call 313.425-3000, ext. 4500.
Tags:
DISCLOSURE:
The US Federal Trade Commission mandated in December of 2009 that bloggers must disclose any material connection and compensation received for blog posts to inform consumers of paid endorsements.
The blog published here is completely my own and Cyon Research receives no compensation for its content. However, readers should assume that Cyon Research currently has, has had in the past and is likely to seek a business relationship with any company mentioned here.
Likewise, Cyon Research employees may not directly own shares in any company reported on here. However, it is likely that mutual funds or other investment vehicles contain shares that are not under the direct control of company employees.
|
|
|
|