FORD's Turn

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: FORD's Turn

Dunaruna, I'm curious what American Made products are sold in Australia (other than possibly some clothing lines) ? I'm showing my ignorance here, but what products does Australia export to the US ? I'm so used to seeing lables that say "made in Taiwan or China" that I honestly can't remember seeing one that said "made in Australia".

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: FORD's Turn

Foster's mate! ....JK

 

[QC]

Re: FORD's Turn

The Aussies export a car . . . The GTO is actually a Holden Munaro. I am pretty sure that the Boomerang I have was built there . . . and I don't think you can get a Didgeridoo anywhere else <br /><br />They import American made heavy trucks, engines and transmissions. Freightliners are gaining in popularity and they are built in Oregon. Western Star's too. They actually build other Ford and GM cars there along with Kenworth trucks and I believe Mack's, but they have a lot of US components in them.<br /><br />They import American Outboards . . .

 

[eeboater]

Re: FORD's Turn

I was just at the Ford Rouge Factory plant last weekend. I got to walk around the factory floor and watch the Union Workers do their thing. You know what I saw?<br /><br />I saw a couple hundred people working with headphones and cell phone headsets stuck in their ears. I saw people repetitively screwing taillights to the cabs and applying stickers to the fenders. <br /><br />What I saw are NOT careers... they are jobs that are perfect for people going to college... or people planning on moving on in life. They are NOT $25 an hour jobs. $25 an hour jobs require something more...<br /><br />That is why they are losing their jobs.<br /><br />Sean

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: FORD's Turn

Pension plans are now bogging down several companies.<br /><br />Think about that when you count on your pension plan. It might not be there if the company goes bankrupt.<br />

Quite right Ken, Ford have 1.1 retired people to look after for every 1 worker, these are costs that the newer manufacturers dont have. Apparently $1500 cost of every car sale goes on health / pension benefits for workers. Quote from Ford Exec on UK radio.<br /><br />In the UK we have companies that need to top up their pensions to the tune of 600 million pounds sterling, how can any company do that and provide a product at a price to match a import?

 

[18rabbit]

Re: FORD's Turn

I think you nailed it, eeboater.<br /><br />I don’t think there is such a thing as an ‘American-made’ car anymore. Ford, GM, Chrysler, they are all an international product now. Toyotas Celicas are made not far from here, in Fremont California.<br /><br />Keep in mind that when the auto industry says they “lost” money, what they really mean is how much they are below projected profits. They don’t actually ever go into the red.<br /><br />And yes, the American auto industry has long been held as a barometer of America’s economic health. If it goes down, our economy is done for. Our auto industry is nowhere near failing, Ford is not really hurting, they are just restructuring to increase profits, reduce the pretend loss. Ford is operating a half dozen(?) of so auto plants on mainland China, can’t keep up with the demand there. Plus whatever they have running in other Asian countries, Russia, and Europe. Fwiw, Ford was on both sides of the fence when we went to war with Germany in WWII. Ford was supplying both sides’ war machine, and after the war, Ford was still viable in Germany. Does anyone really think the iron curtain was put where it was without consideration for the American industrial interests in Germany?!?

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: FORD's Turn

Your boomerang was probably made in china - seriously . We have a system that allows companies to put 'Made In Australia' stickers on their products so that we (like you) can support our own industries and buy aussie made stuff but asian companies get around the law by getting the PACKAGING made in Australia - therfore qualifying for the sticker. It's a problem that stupid politicians need to resolve.<br /><br /><br />Since 9/11, Bush & Howard have galvanised their political friendship which has allowed more open trade talks & therfore more concensions are being made on both sides.<br /><br />We import from the U.S a lot of raw food materials (grains, concentrate juice, meat etc), cars, car parts, car accessories, medical stuff & boats (lots of boats) - the list goes on.<br /><br />We export virtually the same type of stuff but on a much smaller scale. Aus & the U.S. have recently finalised an open trade agreement which means a virtual 'free for all' - you have probably heard your farmers unions complaining about it, as are ours. Both sides want tariffs, it's a double edged sword.<br /><br />We make our own vehicles but a lot of the conponents come from the U.S., Mexico & Canada. We import fully made vehicles such as the Jeep/Chryler range and F trucks (the F series is very popular downunder. Not so much the Jeeps, they are in direct competion with the Landcruiser & Nissan Patrol).<br /><br />By far, the biggest region that we get our imports from is south east asia.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: FORD's Turn

Originally posted by Dunaruna:<br />We import from the U.S a lot of raw food materials (grains, concentrate juice, meat etc), ...

Coming soon to a head in a neighborhood near you: MAD COW!!! MAD COW!!! MAD COW!!<br />

 

[gatorboaterUF]

Re: FORD's Turn

its the pension plans and the foreign car companys that did em in. back when you could buy a GM or a Ford and they had almost 40% of the market there was no problem. Now that joe-blow can buy a toyota or a honda or a nissan or a.....<br />but how could they see it comin? I'm proud to say i'm not part of the problem my car at work is a ford and my personal vehicle is a new GMC truck. i wounder how many people here buy american? they might not keep everything in the US but it is american jobs gettin cut.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: FORD's Turn

odds are that new jimmy has a mexican built V8 in it and the interior came from central america someplace and the frames were most likly manufactured in mexico and shipped to the states for assy.<br /> so much for buying american. the corperate GM or Ford or Chysler only cares about the stockholder dividend. the hourly wage earner is not a consideration.

 

[12Footer]

Re: FORD's Turn

The history of the American auto industry is repeating itself.<br />Between increases in fuel costs (or product demand and supply) and union-rule, UAWs have once again priced themselves right out of a job! Not that i blame them for attempting to squeeze the last drop of profit from the industry, Even tho it's a bad strategy, it is also humman nature.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: FORD's Turn

Originally posted by Dunaruna:<br /> Your boomerang was probably made in china - seriously

A couple weeks ago we spent a week in Las Vegas hanging out with a fellow from China. He is the quality manager at a manufacturing facility in Shanghais, China. His stuff is made to very tight tolerances. If your Boomerang was made in his electric rice cooker factory, you would definitely have a good car.<br /> <br /><br />All in all, I’m thinking you’ll probably get a higher quality product from China than you will from a union shop. Used to not be that way, but more and more I’m seeing clear evidence of it.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: FORD's Turn

The guy on the radio this morning was talking about how Ford is cutting jobs in the US but not in Mexico. He made a joke about how "Quality is number Juan".

 

[BassMan283]

Re: FORD's Turn

Actually, I think one of the plants scheduled for closing is in Mexico.

 

[rosco_59]

Re: FORD's Turn

More and more US workers do not work to make a product of quality, now days it is go to work and just do your job and go home. There is no pride in workmanship anymore. If Ford made a car that got good gas mileage, and few repairs we at a price most of out people could afford they would sell more. All I can say is you Rep what you sew

 

[KaGee]

Re: FORD's Turn

Don't know why all the FORD bashing when GM just went through a shakeup along with it's subsidiary DELPHI. DIAMLER-CHRYSLER is losing money too. European car makers also not doing well.<br /><br />I'm not an economist, never played one on TV, nor did I sleep at Holiday Inn last night, but seems to me that with such broad problems, they have nothing to do with quality or gas mileage. It's more about producing a product that generate a profit and average people can afford. <br /><br />Seems to me that for all the "buy American" bravado, the consumer still buys what his wallet allows him.

 

[bluewater19]

Re: FORD's Turn

From what I understood(watching Fox news) Ford as a company is making a profit.<br />They are just loosing tons money selling their cars. They are profiting on financing.<br />If I was loosing money for my company I would look for ways to become profitable again. If that means cutting jobs and turning to hybrid cars thats what I would do.<br />As for americans complaining about the loss of american jobs at ford GM and Dodge, We need to look in our own driveways and then decide if maybe we didn't help send the american worker to the unemployment line.

 

[technostingray]

Re: FORD's Turn

Originally posted by 18R:<br /> Ford's not cutting "thousands of jobs", it's cutting 10's of thousands of jobs...30,000 of them from 14 plants.

Now here is an example of faulty logic to couneract questionable rhetoric.

 

[AJ168]

Re: FORD's Turn

The problem is obviously competition from foreign car manufacturers. I may sound a bit crazy but how 'bout a tariff? Worked in our past history to protect our business, why shouldn't it work now?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: FORD's Turn

New World Order, globalized economy & other stuff .....JK