ACP November 2009 - Saginaw
November 4, 2009The fall 2009 ACP meeting was held at the Nexteer Automotive headquarters in Saginaw, MI. This event was the first one held at the facility since the company's transition from Delphi Global Steering Division to Nexteer Automotive.
The meeting began with welcome remarks from David Barnas, Executive Director of Global External Affairs. Following that was a brief presentation by Kim Hill, citing CAR's research into the positive economic effects of this summer's Cash for Clunkers program. (All presentations from the meeting are available in the member's only section of the site.)
Bernard Swiecki then gave an industry overview, showing that Chrysler appears to be lagging behind other companies in their recovery. In contrast, Hyundai-Kia has particularly good sales volume compared to their competitors.
Given the industry buzz surrounding electric vehicles, Debbie Menk then followed with an overview of the utility industry. She explained that electric costs are cheaper than fuel costs, but the difficulty to store electricity precludes it from being the obvious winner.
JoAnn Crary of Saginaw Future, non-profit economic development organization for Saginaw County, MI, introduced participants to the Saginaw region. She also explained how her organization has worked with Nexteer through the years, to encourage its viability and maintain its important position in the community. To do this, they organized media, the UAW, schools, and local government officials to demonstrate the community's strong interest in the company.
Mr. Swiecki then reviewed his recent trade mission to China, and alerted ACP members to the upcoming mission to Turin, Italy, on the first week of December.
Attendees also heard remarks from Bob Remenar, the President of Nexteer Automotive. He discussed the history of the company, its challenges and triumphs, and its plan for the future as a new company.
The meeting concluded with lunch and excellent tours of two of the plants on location.
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