Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine
Post Number: 1871 Registered: 05-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:47 pm: | |
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20071114/BUS INESS01/71114064
quote:The assembly plant is part of an ambitious plan to boost VW’s U.S. sales to 800,000 by 2018. The German manufacturer also wants to increase American sales of its Audi luxury brand to 200,000 in 2018. Jacoby said the plant location must be in a time zone that shares working hours with VW’s headquarters in Germany. That rules the Pacific time zone out, he said. Other key criteria in choosing a location are infrastructure, including access to transportation and the availability of a skilled workforce. |
Mbr Member Username: Mbr
Post Number: 260 Registered: 03-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:51 pm: | |
Ha, No chance in hell. |
Zxzm Member Username: Zxzm
Post Number: 86 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:54 pm: | |
Yeah, no chance. If they located here, VW might have a shot in hell of building a products that doesn't need to go to the shop every other week. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5754 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:57 pm: | |
Well since there's a 6 hour difference between EST and German time... there's no place in North America that is farther east that is a closer time zone, except Newfoundland Canada, which is 1/2 hour earlier (5 1/2 hour time difference from German time). |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 3110 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:57 pm: | |
What constitutes shared work hours? How many overlapping hours in how long of a day? Germany is six hours ahead of us, nine ahead of California. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 3111 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 9:58 pm: | |
jinx! |
Scottr Member Username: Scottr
Post Number: 824 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:03 pm: | |
quote:The new plant will be able to produce at least 200,000 vehicles a year and will begin production in 2011 or 2012, Jacoby said. The location of the plant has not been determined, but Jacoby suggested Michigan could be a candidate. VW will announce where it will build the plant in the first half of 2012 This will be a first. A plant will begin production before it is even announced where it will be built! Honestly, with the extensive supplier base around here, a generally experienced but mostly unemployed workforce, and ample water, Michigan probably stands a decent chance. Good to hear that something Jenny has done might pay off, and admittedly, better than I would have expected. |
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 1275 Registered: 12-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:04 pm: | |
It's entirely possible that MI is a viable candidate. During the 1970s and early 80's, VW had an assembly pant in Westmoreland, PA and a stamping facility in West Virginia. When LTV vacated their plant on Van Dyke north of Metro Parkway in the early 1980s, VW purchased it with the intent to assemble cars there, too. However, their sales slumped badly and they never tooled it up (they also closed the PA and WV facilities). The Sterling Heights plant was eventually sold to Chrysler, which still produces cars there today. |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3997 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:09 pm: | |
Union. Labor. I think they'll pass. |
Zxzm Member Username: Zxzm
Post Number: 88 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:12 pm: | |
They deal w/ plenty of it in Kraut land. |
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown
Post Number: 260 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:12 pm: | |
How about Wixom? The old Ford plant would be a good candidate, no? If mayor-elect Hinkley wants to start off on a good note, this would be it. Maybe then they could fix that god-awful interchange at I-96! |
Jerome81 Member Username: Jerome81
Post Number: 1652 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:16 pm: | |
Are you guys nuts? This is the same company that just LEFT Detroit. Why the hell would they come back with an even bigger, longer-term investment? This is about as crazy as VW thinking they can sell 800,000 cars in the US by 2018.... |
Patrick Member Username: Patrick
Post Number: 5142 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:31 pm: | |
VW will never be a success in the USA without totally changing their "Teutonic Sprockets" image. If they want to start selling more cars they need to cater to middle America a little better. |
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 2197 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 12:15 pm: | |
^The Jetta seemed to be pretty successful from a sales standpoint...
quote:Other key criteria in choosing a location are infrastructure, including access to transportation and the availability of a skilled workforce. Nope, sorry Michigan. I would bet on somewhere in Chicagoland... |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 3643 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 12:22 pm: | |
Scottr, that's hilarious. They'll announced a location for the factory in 2012, but production of cars may start there in 2011. |
Goat Member Username: Goat
Post Number: 9932 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 12:23 pm: | |
I heard this is supposed to go to Indiana... |
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa
Post Number: 1012 Registered: 09-2005
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 12:40 pm: | |
Germany is only 4.5 hours ahead of Newfoundland. I don't think VW is crazy enough to build cars out there, however. |
Aiw Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6434 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 4:59 pm: | |
Chrysler and VW are partnering on a Mini-van that is to be built on the Chrysler assembly line by Chrysler workers in Windsor in 2009. |
Scottr Member Username: Scottr
Post Number: 829 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 5:20 pm: | |
Johnlodge, the freep eventually caught and fixed the error, kind of a shame, cause it was funny.
quote:including access to transportation Iheartthed, that means rail (for freight, not commuters) and possibly water for shipping - both of which we have access to, not to mention, our extensive freeway system. In other words, they aren't going to build it somewhere with no freeways or rail. |
Aiw Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6435 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 5:31 pm: | |
Well New Stanton, Pennsylvania wasn't exactly a metropolis in 1978... |