Ninth Annual GAAS Kicked Off in Chicago
While the theme of this year’s Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) — Leaner, Faster, Better — may connote the automated efficiency of a well-run machine, the true focus of the day’s numerous presentations was on the talented pool of people who make up that machine and how to make better use of them. “The core of any great business is the people,” said GAAS founder and chairman Mort Schwartz, who welcomed approximately 400 aftermarket executives to the event.
Suppliers Feel Pinch from Auto Industry
Workers at the Timken Co. can spin magic with bearings, crafting superb tapered bits of metal tinier than grains of sand and 9-ton sculptured steel behemoths. The friction-reducing bearings let cars, sport utility vehicles, railroad engines, space satellites, computer disk drives and even missile guidance systems function. But for all that specialized engineering, the $3.8 billion Canton manufacturer is caught in the same pythonlike economic squeeze as businesses large and small across the world: how to cut costs and do more with less, because if they don’t, someone else eventually will.
Rep. Knollenberg Introduces Bill To Fight Counterfeit Goods
U.S. Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich. 9th District) yesterday introduced legislation to strengthen the federal law used to prosecute counterfeiters whose products threaten public health, harm American manufacturers and cost jobs in the U.S. The Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act would require the mandatory destruction of equipment used to manufacture and package counterfeit goods. In addition, the proposed legislation addresses methods that counterfeiters have used to evade prosecution, such as the selling of patch sets or medallions that can later be attached to generic merchandise and given the appearance of a genuine product, as well as placing a counterfeit mark on goods not specifically listed in the trademark registration.
Job Without Glitter May Be Gold — Skilled ‘Blue-Collar’ Workers Get Top Dollar
Think you have to earn a college degree to collect a hefty paycheck? Think again. A work-force shortage is driving up demand – and salaries – for skilled workers in “blue-collar” trades within the construction, automotive, health-care and service industries.
Two Collins & Aikman Board Members Resign
Two board members investigated internally for insider deals have resigned from auto supplier Collins & Aikman Corp. (C&A), which has lost money three years in a row, and on Thursday reported another first-quarter loss. The quarter’s red ink was slightly less than it was the same period a year ago.
Challenge Ahead for Detroit’s Automakers
Detroit’s Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler — are going to have to make changes in their products if they want to stay competitive, says automotive trend watcher Micheline Maynard.
Supplier Pact is Official: New Hires to Make Less at Delphi and Visteon
The country’s two largest auto-parts makers, Delphi Corp. and Visteon Corp., formally announced Thursday their 7-year UAW contract that will substantially reduce pay for their future UAW workers, and requires them to pay for more of their health care and much of their retirement.
Delphi, Visteon Pact to Trade for Job Security
Detroit’s two largest auto suppliers, Delphi Corp. and Visteon Corp., are close to reaching a historic 7-year contract with the UAW that dramatically cuts the wages for all future hires, and requires them to pay for more of their health care and much of their retirement, UAW and company sources have told the Free Press.
Retooling a Pool of Talent: Michigan Reaches Out from Brawn to Brains
Diego Rivera’s famous mural of Detroit’s industry depicts big, muscular men pulling on steel and manipulating heavy machines as they mold new cars. But if Rivera were here today, how would he see the city? Probably not muscling steel girders around. He’d see MBAs and computer geeks creating the modern automotive world in front of their computers.
Herman Trend Alert: Transnational Job Movement
Many Americans are upset about the migration of jobs to countries like India and China. While the perception is that a huge proportion of jobs is permanently leaving the U.S., the reality seems to be considerably different.