BIRMINGHAM -- Automobile makers must make sure their suppliers are solvent and nearby if they want to survive the current economic downturn, according to industry insiders and consultants.
By Cosby Woodruff • June 10, 2009 Montgomery Advertiser
Executives from one Southern car plant after another stressed the need to adjust to the market during the Automotive News Manufacturing Conference on Tuesday at the Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. Adjusting to the market means cooperating with suppliers, especially those suppliers that need help staying open.
Mark Gardner of Deloitte Consulting; Bill Taylor, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz International; and Chuck Ernst, senior vice president of Honda Manufacturing Alabama, pointed to the need to be flexible in production and dealing with suppliers.
Taylor, who will retire at the end of this month to head the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, said the economic downturn is an opportunity for auto manufacturers to get ready for the recovery.
"I think it is the right time to do that and to make ourselves ready for the future," he said.
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