Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - (Page 26) 26 • SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 AXLE Supplier’s plan: Growth outside U.S. continued from Page 1 ing document” that changes with customer production schedules and other factors. A former American Axle executive says, “If you want to know where GM will be locating new assembly plants, watch American Axle.” The documents show two new plants each are planned for Michigan and for India and one each for Thailand, Mexico, Poland and Colombia. Expansions are planned for the company’s Three Rivers, Mich., plant, and Guanajuato, Mexico, complex and for plants in Brazil and China. Today, American Axle is a largely U.S. company. In 2007, U.S. sales accounted for $2.07 billion out of total revenues of $3.25 billion. Net profits were $37.0 million. American Axle has about 5,000 U.S. employees and 3,758 workers elsewhere. Under the company’s growth plan, those numbers would flip-flop by 2013. The U.S. head count would drop to 3,478, and the foreign count would jump to 8,243. With declining truck sales, American Axle’s rapid growth in supplying parts to General Motors’ light trucks in North America has slowed sharply. GM accounts for more than 75 percent of American Axle’s sales. American Axle’s share of Chrysler LLC business is shrinking, too. Less-American Axle American Axle aims to remake itself into a company with more workers and revenues overseas than in the United States. Here, based on internal company documents, is how the supplier sees its future. U.S. 2008 EST. 2013 EST. Shifting direction American Axle plants mostly will close in the United States and open or expand elsewhere. Here’s a rundown of plans for Axle’s plants worldwide. Closed: Buffalo, N.Y. To close: Tonawanda, N.Y., forge; 2 Detroit plants Consolidate: 2 Detroit plants New: Oxford, Mich., forge; a second Michigan plant; Pune and Pantnagar, India; Rayong, Thailand; Olawa, Poland; Colombia; a second Mexico plant Expand: Three Rivers, Mich.; Araucaria, Brazil; Guanajuato forge, Guanajuato sequencing center, Mexico; Changshu, China Source: American Axle documents Revenues (in billions) Total head count INTERNATIONAL $1.58 5,000 2008 EST. $1.2 3,478 2013 EST. Revenues (in billions) Total head count Source: American Axle documents $1.27 3,758 $2.64 8,243 Chasing rivals “American Axle is tied to a market for pickups and SUVs that’s being permanently downsized,” said Wendy Thompson, a retired president of UAW Local 235 in Detroit. “I’m not surprised that they’re not investing here.” Dauch must scramble to catch rivals such as Dana Holding Corp. in overseas markets. Dana has 36 lightaxle and driveshaft operations in 18 countries outside the United States. Its driveline presence in Europe dates to the 1920s. American Axle has five non-U.S. plants, including two in Mexico. American Axle’s shift from the United States to Mexico has begun. During a three-month UAW strike of American Axle this year, the supplier doubled the capacity at its Guanajuato, Mexico, plant to 6,000 axles per day. Guanajuato kept supplying GM light trucks despite the strike, which shut five American Axle U.S. plants and halted or hobbled output at nearly 30 GM plants. The strike was settled in May. Since the company’s founding in 1994, Dauch has spent more than $2 billion on his U.S. operations. Now he’s mothballing some of them. Mas Mexico “Dick has more capacity here than he needs. He has no choice but to invest where he sees growth opportuni- ties,” said Dave Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. American Axle isn’t giving up on the United States, but its customers here increasingly will be served from Mexico. The bulk of Dauch’s international business is in Mexico, serving customers there and in the United States. His Guanajuato plant complex has been expanded a half-dozen times. Mexico is expected to generate $1.09 billion in revenue this year. In six years that number is expected to reach $1.75 billion. Over the next six years, American Axle plans to spend $452.1 million in Mexico. Thompson, the former UAW local president, questioned whether Mexico was a good choice to manufacture axles for GM light-truck plants based mostly in the Midwest. Said Thompson: “I have a hard time believing that it makes economic sense to ship axles from Mexico to here.” c HEARD Dealer group faces new allegations continued from Page 1 Heard on deceit The Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs says Bill Heard Enterprises has continued to attempt to deceive consumers since the company and state agency went to court in May 2007. Here are some of the new allegations, filed Aug. 22. Heard’s Town Center dealership in Kennesaw, Ga., lied to thirdparty lenders about customers’ incomes to increase the likelihood that the vehicles would be financed. Bill Heard’s flagship Chevrolet store in Columbus, Ga., forged consumers’ signatures on agreements without their knowledge or permission. Town Center inflated the loaned value of vehicles by telling thirdparty lenders the vehicles carried extra features and options that they did not — an illegal practice known as “power booking.” In September 2007, Heard subsidiary Tom Jumper Chevrolet sent a direct mail advertisement informing recipients they might receive financing at interest rates as low as 3.9 percent. The ad went only to people with low credit scores who were unlikely to qualify for such terms. Consumer Affairs. We have consistently stated that we have policies and procedures in place that require and enable legal, ethical and fair business practices including advertising and finance.” Says William Cloud, a spokesman for the Office of Consumer Affairs: “At best, that response is eyewash.” He says the office has been close to an agreement with Bill Heard Enterprises twice in the past year. The dealership’s representatives broke off the latest round of negotiations Aug. 21 — the same day GMAC yanked its credit. “They have been the ones that have walked away from it — twice,” Cloud says. “And we assume the directions were from the top.” c mitigate risk,” said spokesman Mike Stoller. “That has been happening and will continue to happen on a regular basis.” Power booking Among more than a dozen fresh allegations made by the state agency: Bill Heard’s Town Center dealership in Kennesaw, Ga., misrepresented to third-party lenders that options and extra features were added to vehicles that the dealership was trying to get financed for customers. The illegal practice is known as “power booking.” In power booking, a dealer artificially inflates the loaned value of a vehicle by telling the lender that there are features or options on the vehicle that don’t exist. The bank then approves the loan for more than the vehicle is worth, with the difference going to the dealer. According to court documents, Bill Heard Enterprises instructed its dealers to tell customers to lie if lenders called to verify the extra features. The amended complaint quotes a former Bill Heard salesperson as saying: “You have to prep the buyer that when the bank calls, you know, whatever the bank asks you, you tell them, ‘Yes, it’s got that equipment. If it’s got a hot tub in it, you got to tell them it’s got a hot tub in it.” With group revenues of $2.13 billion in 2007, Bill Heard Enterprises, of Columbus, Ga., ranks No. 13 on Automotive News’ list of the top 125 U.S. dealership groups based on new retail units sold. Heard, who turns 74 on Sept. 8, told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in a rare interview in July that he planned to sell “two or three” of his dealerships because of slow sales. Last week, the newspaper reported that Bill Heard Enterprises has trimmed 400 employees out of 2,800 across the country. PHOTOS BY MIKE HASKEY/COLUMBUS, GA., LEDGER-ENQUIRER Bill Heard’s dealership group blames its financial problems on “adverse economic conditions, high gasoline prices and our traditional product mix.” In a written statement to Automotive News and other media last week, Bill Heard Enterprises blamed its financial condition on a combination of “adverse economic conditions, high gasoline prices and our traditional product mix” weighted toward trucks. “We have been successful in this business for four decades, and we have navigated successfully through challenging economic conditions before,” the statement said. “Our plan is to increase our efficiency and productivity, tap the emerging fuel-conscious market with an appropriate product mix, reduce our already-competitive cost structure and restructure our business to compete effectively in current market conditions.” The company also must reply to the state of Georgia’s allegations. The state’s latest complaint is an amendment to a July 2007 counterclaim to a lawsuit Bill Heard Entera 2006 fake recall notice. In October 2006, Bill Heard mailed fliers to about 10,000 Georgia residents labeled “urgent potential recall notification.” The flier carried the logos of GM and its brands and urged recipients to call a toll-free number to schedule a free vehicle safety inspection. Fake recall There was no recall. GM sent Heard a letter saying he had breached GM’s sales and service agreement and gave the dealership 30 days to correct or explain the breaches. In the latest court filing, the Office of Consumer Affairs says Bill Heard Enterprises continued to disseminate “deceptive and misleading advertisements” even after the office took the matter to court. Bill Heard Enterprises denies all the allegations. In its media statement, the company said it “will continue to work constructively with the Office of Bill Heard Enterprises had group revenues of $2.31 billion in 2007. prises filed in May 2007 under the Georgia Open Records Act. That lawsuit sought the names of individuals and dealerships that filed complaints against Bill Heard over
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - September 1, 2008 Automotive News - September 1, 2008 'Mr. Big Volume' hit again Auto ad spending plummets American Axle to grow outside U.S. Nissan, Renault aim to share more parts Steven Ribet joins Automotive News in Shanghai Salaried workers face the ax Asbury to challenge verdict Lutz wants loan guarantees VW passes Ford as No. 3 global seller in 1st half Suzuki in disguise Dodge hopes smooth ride of coil springs will distinguish Ram Candidates split on union organizing bill Check in the mail? Toyota, Ford can tell 10 CTS stays true to concept GM shifts some vehicle design work to U.S. Infiniti may add cars, big and small BMW slashes production of big engines Toyota cuts sales forecast Chrysler: Viper lures suitors Honda hybrid plan bets big on small cars Ford starts L-M consolidation meetings Obama renews aid offer — industry wants it now Honda taps rainwater to create wetlands U.S. loans could make sense, but can't be a bailout Wanna buy a car? Wanna buy a brand? PPG story recalls Exner's Imperial Toyota goofed on Scion; is Prius next? Editor grows up; import vet pleased Field reps blamed for GM's problems Honda Insight engine isn't noiseless Trucks, Vette fine; rest of GM, blah Reynolds to dealers: Replace aging servers by year end Saddle up! Dem delegates honor slain Arkansas dealer Kia makes a mark of its own Koreans step up; Indians step cautiously; Chinese step back The next batch of new Hyundais: Smaller, more fuel efficient To give fuel economy a boost, Hyundai spends big on r&d U.S. plans fizzle for most Chinese vehicles Mahindra delays U.S. retail launch until 4th quarter of '09 Dealers Personnel Despite tough times, Galpin profits by pimping rides Web service leads grow Uh, I didn't mean to say you should retire Remembering Phil Hill, racing's modest giant Mulally to speak at gadget show GM picks Volt battery supplier Split verdict in fraud case July auto output was up in Japan Bob Fisher Dems reopen the CAFE Hummer, king of the desert? MG remains a no-show in North America Mustang silly Protests could bring ta-ta from Tata The politicians (and I) need a new road map Welburn's design journey began in Philly Automotive News - September 1, 2008 Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - (Page Intro) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - American Axle to grow outside U.S. (Page 1) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - American Axle to grow outside U.S. (Page 2) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Suzuki in disguise (Page 3) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - 10 CTS stays true to concept (Page 4) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - 10 CTS stays true to concept (Page 5) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Chrysler: Viper lures suitors (Page 6) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Chrysler: Viper lures suitors (Page 7) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Obama renews aid offer — industry wants it now (Page 8) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Obama renews aid offer — industry wants it now (Page 9) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Honda taps rainwater to create wetlands (Page 10) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Honda taps rainwater to create wetlands (Page 11) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Field reps blamed for GM's problems (Page 12) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Field reps blamed for GM's problems (Page 13) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Trucks, Vette fine; rest of GM, blah (Page 14) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Saddle up! (Page 15) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Dem delegates honor slain Arkansas dealer (Page 16) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Koreans step up; Indians step cautiously; Chinese step back (Page 17) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - To give fuel economy a boost, Hyundai spends big on r&d (Page 18) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Mahindra delays U.S. retail launch until 4th quarter of '09 (Page 19) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Personnel (Page 20) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Web service leads grow (Page 21) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Web service leads grow (Page 22) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Web service leads grow (Page 23) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Web service leads grow (Page 24) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Uh, I didn't mean to say you should retire (Page 25) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Uh, I didn't mean to say you should retire (Page 26) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - July auto output was up in Japan (Page 27) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Bob Fisher (Page 28) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Bob Fisher (Page 29) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Welburn's design journey began in Philly (Page 30) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Welburn's design journey began in Philly (Page 31) Automotive News - September 1, 2008 - Welburn's design journey began in Philly (Page 32)
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