From Dayton Daily News
MORAINE, OHIO — Ohio is still a battleground state. This time it’s for the right to be deemed as Ohio’s best automotive investment. Recently, both General Motors Corp., the world’s largest automaker, and Honda of America Manufacturing Inc., Ohio’s No. 1 producer of cars and trucks, have spent thousands marketing their credentials. Last week, GM opened the advertising floodgates with full-page newspaper ads trumpeting GM as “Driving Ohio’s Economy.” In GM’s latest advertisement, James Klemann, a tool maker from the Lordstown stamping plant, stands grinning in his work clothes alongside a row of doors ready to be assembled.
“To me and my family, it’s the most important job at GM,” says Klemann in the Dayton Daily News ad. “I’m one of about 20,000 here in Ohio.”
Next month, television commercials are coming — customized for Ohio, said Michelle Bunker, a GM spokeswoman who flew in from Washington D.C. to talk with local reporters on Friday.
Governor Bob Taft met with GM North American President Gary Cowger on Thursday to discuss the importance of manufacturing and the role GM plays in Ohio’s economy.
The underlying goal, Bunker said, was to win Ohio’s help in getting better health care policies, litigation reform and currency manipulation, all of which are crippling the company against transplanted foreign competitors.
And Honda spared no expense during its 25th anniversary of American manufacturing in September.
In depth media tours, advertisements and commissioned financial studies showcased the money Honda spends in making Ohio a better state.
Yes, there is a battle, said Edward K. Miller, Honda spokesman.
“We didn’t put our 25th anniversary information out to cause any raucous,” Miller said. “We just wanted to get the facts out.
But, like in our success at racing, we do have a competitive spirit.”
Spin aside, both automakers boast enough individual facts to lay claim as Ohio’s most beneficial automaker.
– GM employs 19,700 Ohioans; Honda employs a little over 16,000 Ohioans.
– Honda produces 640,000 cars and trucks a year, not including the 150,000 motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles; GM produces 550,000
– GM does business with more than 2,000 Tier I, II and III Ohio suppliers; Honda has 154 key suppliers located in 52 of the states 88 counties.
– Honda has invested $6.1 billion in plants and machinery in its Ohio operations; GM declined to give its estimate “for proprietary reasons.”
GM is often overlooked, much like an older child when a new baby enters the family, said Pamela Mader, plant manager at GM’s Moraine, Ohio, Assembly Plant.
“We’re just trying to tell our story and not be forgotten about or taken for granted,” said Mader, who oversees the operations of 4,000 workers that manufacture midsize sport utility vehicles. “The new kid on the block often gets heralded.”
Foreign-based automakers, in general, have fared better in terms of sales and earnings. But there’s a reason, Mader said.
“GM, alone, spent $5.2 billion on health care in 2004 for 1.1 million employees, retirees and dependents living in the United States,” Mader said.
“GM spends more than $1,500 per vehicle in health care costs.”
Mader, who also met with Gov. Taft on Thursday, is pushing the need for better currency manipulation.
From January 2003 to March 2004, Japan intervened on 126 days, purchasing a total of about $326 billion, Mader said.
“We believe the yen should strengthen against the dollar as much as the euro has since 2001 … which would bring the exchange rate to around 90 yen per dollar,” Mader said.
“The Japanese government positions its automakers to do well which puts GM and other American companies at a disadvantage.”
Copyright 2005 Dayton Daily News. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All Rights Reserved.
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