Category Archives: Auto Parts

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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Auto supplier Contech LLC files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

Auto supplier Contech LLC files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
by Alex Nixon | Kalamazoo Gazette

PORTAGE, MI — Local auto supplier Contech LLC has filed for federal bankruptcy protection citing weakness in the automotive industry for its financial problems, the Portage-based company announced Friday.

Contech, which employs about 65 workers at its Portage headquarters and operates nine plants in four states, said it will reorganize its operations under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

“The move, which was made with the support of Contech’s key customers, will make it possible to relieve Contech’s strong underlying operations from significant debt obligations, sell certain non-core operations and address the unprecedented low volumes in the North American automotive industry by rationalizing its operational cost structure,” the company said in a written statement.

Contech is a metal-part casting company that supplies the parts automotive and heavy truck industries. It leases in the Trade Centre office complex in Portage. The company was acquired in 2007 by New York-based private equity firm Marathon Asset Management from Charlotte, N.C.-based SPX Corp. for $146 million.

In its statement, Contech said it’s “conducting normal business operations, and remains focused on serving its customers.”

It expects to use interim financing and cash flow from operations to continue making parts and paying employees, the company said. The company employs a total of 1,000 workers.

“This action is an integral part of our ongoing efforts to restructure Contech and meet the challenges of the automotive industry going forward,” Morris Rowlett, chairman and chief executive officer, said in the statement.

“Over the past year, we have faced the same challenges many of our competitors and colleagues in the automotive industry have faced resulting from significantly reduced production levels at our largest customers,” Rowlett said.

The company said its United Kingdom operations aren’t affected by the bankruptcy filing.

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Aluminum Auto Parts maker J.L. French files for bankruptcy

By JEWEL GOPWANI • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • July 13, 2009

In another example of how the auto industry’s sales drop-off has financially crippled auto suppliers, J.L. French Automotive Castings Inc., a maker of aluminum parts, filed for bankruptcy protection early today. It is the company’s second bankruptcy filing in three years.

Overburdened by debt, Wisconsin-based J.L. French, which counts on General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., the Chrysler Group and Magna International Inc. for most of its sales, said it already has negotiated a plan to cut its secured debt by 75% that includes another trip through Chapter 11.

High levels of debt could push at least two other major suppliers into Chapter 11 in the next few weeks.

Bankruptcy fears sent shares of Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. down 27 cents or 15% on Monday to close at $1.52.

Last week the company said it won a waiver on the terms of its loan agreement through the end of the month.

Shelly Lombard, an analyst at Gimme Credit, which rates corporate bonds, said in a note to investors that it will be difficult for American Axle to avoid bankruptcy.

American Axle spokesman Chris Son said today that the supplier continues to work with law firm Shearman & Sterling, but declined to say if the company is preparing a bankruptcy filing.

Meanwhile, Novi-based Cooper Standard faces a deadline of Wednesday to cut its debt after it put off making an interest payment last month.

The supplier’s discussions with lenders continue, said Cooper-Standard spokeswoman Sharon Wenzle.

J.L. French, which makes such aluminum parts as engine blocks, oil pans and transmission cases, said plummeting revenue made it impossible for the company to keep up with its debt payments.

In a court filing, J.L. French CEO Thomas Musgrave said in recent years that the company “invested significant amounts of capital to expand” its “die-casting and machining capacity in support of specific customer production contracts that in many cases failed to generate the expected level of sales volume.”

With the company in financial stress from being over-leveraged, it has had a tough time convincing customers to award it new business.

Contact JEWEL GOPWANI : 313-223-4550 or jgopwani@freepress.com

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