Category Archives: Auto Parts

Tier 1 Auto Suppliers Bought by Revstone LLC, Ford, BMW, Delphi Object

Quote, originally posted by Detroit News »

Washington — The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation said Tuesday it will assume responsibility for a bankrupt Michigan auto supplier’s underfunded pension plan.

The government’s pension insurer will take over Portage-based Contech US LLC’s pension plan covering 532 workers and retirees effective immediately, the agency said in a statement.

According to PBGC estimates, the Contech US LLC Pension Plan is 38 percent funded, with assets of $8.4 million to cover benefit liabilities of $22 million. The agency expects to cover $12 million of the $13.6 million shortfall.

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Contech LLC sought bankruptcy protection in January in Detroit after it had been acquired in 2007 by investment firm Marathon Asset Management LLC. It has nine U.S. plants, with its Walled Lake plant responsible for much of its revenue.

“This action is an integral part of our ongoing efforts to restructure Contech and meet the challenges of the automotive industry going forward. We continue to work closely with our lenders and customers to reach a consensus on the remaining changes that are necessary,” said Morris Rowlett, chairman & CEO of Contech in a statement in January when the company sought bankruptcy protection.

The PBGC will take over the assets and use insurance funds to pay guaranteed benefits earned under the plan, which ends Tuesday.

Retirees and beneficiaries will continue to receive monthly benefit checks without interruption, and future participants will receive their pensions when they are eligible to retire, the PBGC said.

Within the next several weeks, the PBGC will send notification letters to all participants in the Contech plan detailing the change.

Privately held Contech was founded in 1950 and builds light metal die casting and machining for automobile and parts manufacturers.

The company was sold from former owner SPX Corp. to Marathon Asset Management, a private equity firm, in 2007. Contech’s U.K. subsidiary based in Wales is not in bankruptcy.

Contech has six casting facilities in Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee, and had sales of $312 million in 2007, but saw sales fall to $223 million in 2008 as auto sales plummeted.

Marathon has sought to use Section 363 of the bankruptcy code to sell nearly all of Contech’s casting assets to Revstone Industries LLC.

Revstone would pay $14 million and assume certain liabilities from its casting facilities under the proposed sale.

Last week, several major customers of Contech filed an objection to the sale.

Ford Motor Co., Automotive Components Holdings LLC, BMW AG and Delphi filed a joint objection to the sale. Ford and Delphi both have said they won’t accept Revstone as a replacement supplier.

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Aluminum Auto Parts – What Every Car Needs

Aluminum Auto Parts – What Every Car Needs. Hundreds and thousand of aluminum auto parts are being produced by different die casters everyday. Aside from the design’s lightweight element, most aluminum auto parts are also being carefully constructed as net shape to avoid wastes and hiring additional services to run machineries. A lot of top automobile companies and sellers rely on die caster to provide them with quality auto parts made from aluminum alloy. Mounting holes are also inclusive in the production stage of these aluminum auto components, thereby making them cheaper in retail and wholesale prices compared to auto parts made of steel. This is also why a lot of leading manufacturers of cars and other automobiles have taken it to themselves to have their own manufacturing plants to cater to their entire aluminum auto parts needs.

The industry of auto manufacturing greatly relies on the availability of car parts made from aluminum. Since its invention in the early years, a lot of manufacturers have found it easier to produce high quality automobiles without having to spend a lot in customizing engine parts and other essential parts of auto gears. In the past few years, a large percentage of the automobiles constructed by leading manufacturers have delicate parts made from the simplified processes of aluminum die casting. Aluminum contains a type of metallic alloy that has elements that contribute to the products’ overall function and strength. Aside from this assured durability, aluminum also resists corrosion, thereby making it easier for a car or any automobile to last for a long period of time.

Kinetic Die Casting manufactures custom metal parts to their customer. If you would like more information about Kinetic Die Casting, please visit our website:Kinetic Die Casting Company

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USA Treasury Department Announces Auto Supplier Support Program

Treasury Announces Auto Supplier Support Program, Program Will Aid Critical Sector of American Economy.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced a new program to help stabilize the auto supply base and restore credit flows in a critical sector of the American economy. As the President’s Task Force on the Auto Industry continues to review restructuring plans submitted by General Motors and Chrysler, Treasury announced an Auto Supplier Support Program that will provide up to $5 billion in financing, giving suppliers the confidence they need to continue shipping parts, pay their employees and continue their operations.

As rising unemployment and contracting credit continue to threaten economic recovery, today’s announcement will support an industry employing more than 500,000 American workers across the country. Because of the credit crisis and the rapid decline in auto sales, many of the nation’s auto parts suppliers are unable to access credit and are facing growing uncertainty about the prospects for their businesses and for the auto companies that rely on the parts they ship. This program will help break this cycle and provide confidence in the supplier base at an important time for the domestic auto industry. It is part of the Administration’s broader efforts to ensure that our Financial Stability Plan reaches the main street businesses that create good jobs for American workers.

“The Supplier Support Program will help stabilize a critical component of the American auto industry during the difficult period of restructuring the lies ahead, ” said Treasury Secretary Geithner. “The program will provide supply companies with much needed access to liquidity to assist them in meeting payrolls and covering their expenses, while giving the domestic auto companies reliable access to the parts they need. ”

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Technological Advancements in the Automobile Industry of the US

The automobile industry of the United States of America has become one of the most essential and important industries not only in the country but in the whole world. The automobile industry has not only made huge profits by selling their products worldwide but also added themselves to the culture of people all around the world. There are various steps that are involved in the process of the automobile industry and these include designing of the vehicle, manufacturing it, marketing and selling it to the customers who are spread throughout the world.

Any rise or fall in the Automobile industry of the United States of America affects the U.S economy very hard as the latter is highly dependent on the former. The American automobile industry has flourished itself in such a way in the global market that it hardly suffers a loss in its sales. This is because, if the sales of their products in a certain area like South America get narrowed, then they can compensate it by selling their products in another part of the world like Asia or Brazil. This is the greatest advantage of growing themselves in all parts of the world equally.

The American Automobile industry manufactures a variety of vehicles ranging from four wheeled cars to heavy vehicles like trucks and buses. They also manufacture airplanes and vehicles that run on electricity which mainly include trains and some cars. This variety only makes the industry a huge one and offers job to millions of people living in the U.S and Canada. This is the reason that almost everyone is employed in North America because of the presence of such huge industries there. This industry is so huge that now companies have been setting up their plants in developing countries also, like India.

Along with providing jobs opportunities to the people living in the U.S and even outside the US, this industry also generates billions of dollars of revenue for the U.S economy which makes it one of the backbone elements of the United States of America’s economy. In other words, this industry provides various services to other industries where transportation is highly required and vehicles are used in large numbers. The automobile industry finds its use in almost every kind of industry and even in the defense also whether it is army, navy or air force.

The automobiles have revolutionized the way people travel from one place to another and with the help of technology the automobile industry has made it a lot easier and more comfortable for people to commute from one place to another. Nowadays, vehicles are being manufactured in such a huge quantity that the cost of their production has come down exponentially and hence the cost of the automobiles in the markets has gone down giving a great advantage to the customers. The automobile industry of the United States of America is expanding day by day as companies have started dominating this industry and setting up their manufacturing units in the country.

Ezine Article: Technological Advancements in the Automobile Industry of the US http://ezinearticles.com/?id=2629310

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Ford UAW Expected to Reduce Hourly Rates

Ford’s UAW Expected to Reduce Hourly Rates, Benefits to Compete with Foreign Automakers
UAW members at Ford Motor Co. have ratified modifications to the UAW Ford 2007 labor agreement. Fifty-nine percent of production workers and 58 percent of skilled-trades workers voted for the agreement in balloting that took place at UAW Ford locations throughout the U.S.

According to Ford company officials March 11, these approved concessions are expected to lower the hourly wage rate at Ford to $55/hour in 2009, including benefits, pensions and bonuses. According to company estimates from December, foreign competitors’ hourly rates in the U.S. were around $48-49/hour and are expected to rise in the future. Company officials stated that they expect to be in parity with the competitor’s rates within a couple of years.

The concessions in the ratified agreement are expected to save Ford $500 million annually beginning in 2010, and will save about three-fourths of that in the remainder of 2009. Half of those savings will come directly from the cut in bonuses and benefits. Ford will also be offering revised buyout options, from April 11 to May 22, to all hourly employees, except for certain highly skilled positions.

These modifications will help Ford remain on track to deliver their key business and financial goals over the next few years, according to company officials.

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