Everything is "ok" so far...

[LargoWinch]

"...people who were building F150s are now building BigMacs". Wow.

Actually, last time I was in Oshawa, ON, Canada, they were "building" coffees for Tim Hortons (a division of Wendy's )- not Big Macs - but the end results are the same.

BTW, we have Mega's best friend in this clip so enjoy!!!... the one and only: Dr. Doom! (sorry I meant: Mega's best buddy).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aZrRbtCKvQ

[Spartacus]

Re: Everything is "ok" so far...

That's the bad news.

the "good" news is Toyota (Corrolas, i forget where), Honda Civics in Alliston & more coming.



I get the impression that the Japanese have built small car plants in Canada & big stuff plants in southern US - I don't know if the Canadians begged the Japanese for the small cars & the Americans begged for the truck/SUV stuff - anybody know how that happened, if it's an accurate observation?

the "bad" news on this front is that a lot of the American based consultancies are gearing up some kind of campaign (so it seems to me) claiming that Canada has not made any investment in productivity - all based on faulty government inflation / GDP / productivity numbers. I've seen this kind of claim from Bain, RBS, RBC ... it's a little suspicious.

Oh, interesting little anecdote for fellow Canadians ... I was walking down Yonge & Dundas today, one section I have not walked down for a long time & noticed this huge sign on a building, for the

"RYERSON UNIVESITY TED ROGERS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT"
and I automatically added in my mind "where you learn to abuse employees & dis-service customers and yet still claim to be a great man (through your media mouthpieces)".

Ted Rogers - what a choad.
Rogers - worst effin, friggin company in Canada, BAR NONE.

"...people who were building F150s are now building BigMacs". Wow.

Actually, last time I was in Oshawa, ON, Canada, they were "building" coffees for Tim Hortons (a division of Wendy's )- not Big Macs - but the end results are the same.

BTW, we have Mega's best friend in this clip so enjoy!!!... the one and only: Dr. Doom! (sorry I meant: Mega's best buddy).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aZrRbtCKvQ

"Mega's best friend?"

the iTulip "post" button is in the video?

[GRG55]

Re: Everything is "ok" so far...

That's the bad news.

the "good" news is Toyota (Corrolas, i forget where), Honda Civics in Alliston & more coming.



I get the impression that the Japanese have built small car plants in Canada & big stuff plants in southern US - I don't know if the Canadians begged the Japanese for the small cars & the Americans begged for the truck/SUV stuff - anybody know how that happened, if it's an accurate observation?...

The Canadian Honda and Toyota small car plants have been around for some years. The Canadian market has always catered to smaller and less costly automobiles compared to the USA. Why? Partly due to historically higher fuel costs than the USA because of government taxes, lower average incomes than in the USA, higher overall taxation levels than the USA, ergo - less diposable income.

The big vehicle plants like Toyota's Texas-located Tundra pick-up plant are fairly new, and I think in retrospect are going to prove a strategic mistake. It is possible in a few more years, the only place on earth such large vehicles will be able to be privately operated in large numbers will be OPEC and possible other oil exporting nations. However, the climate in the Gulf, for example, is not conducive to pick-ups, and they much prefer the dual-air-conditioner comfort of a Japanese-built 8-passenger Landcruiser SUV.

...Oh, interesting little anecdote for fellow Canadians ... I was walking down Yonge & Dundas today, one section I have not walked down for a long time & noticed this huge sign on a building, for the

"RYERSON UNIVESITY TED ROGERS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT"
and I automatically added in my mind "where you learn to abuse employees & dis-service customers and yet still claim to be a great man (through your media mouthpieces)".

Ted Rogers - what a choad.
Rogers - worst effin, friggin company in Canada, BAR NONE.

No argument when I see the usurous rates Rogers charges for crap coverage and service for a GSM phone in Canada compared to the charges I am used to in Arabian Gulf.

[Spartacus]

Re: Everything is "ok" so far...

I've been thinking the governments went after specific types of things, and the local influences showed up in what the governments lobbied for - I did not think those plants were situated based on local market preferences.

I was under the impression that where the vehicle is made does not necessarily have anything to do with local markets - those Hondas are shipped all over the world, AFAIK, and those Tundras are the ones that are sold in Canada.

The Canadian Honda and Toyota small car plants have been around for some years. The Canadian market has always catered to smaller and less costly automobiles compared to the USA.

yes, a long, long time, AND with recent huge expansions done or announced for the future

Why? Partly due to historically higher fuel costs than the USA because of government taxes, lower average incomes than in the USA, higher overall taxation levels than the USA, ergo - less diposable income.

The big vehicle plants like Toyota's Texas-located Tundra pick-up plant are fairly new, and I think in retrospect are going to prove a strategic mistake. It is possible in a few more years, the only place on earth such large vehicles will be able to be privately operated in large numbers will be OPEC and possible other oil exporting nations. However, the climate in the Gulf, for example, is not conducive to pick-ups, and they much prefer the dual-air-conditioner comfort of a Japanese-built 8-passenger Landcruiser SUV.



No argument when I see the usurous rates Rogers charges for crap coverage and service for a GSM phone in Canada compared to the charges I am used to in Arabian Gulf.

[GRG55]

Re: Everything is "ok" so far...

I've been thinking the governments went after specific types of things, and the local influences showed up in what the governments lobbied for - I did not think those plants were situated based on local market preferences.

I was under the impression that where the vehicle is made does not necessarily have anything to do with local markets - those Hondas are shipped all over the world, AFAIK, and those Tundras are the ones that are sold in Canada.

Yes that is correct to a point, but it would be rare for any manufacturer to locate in Canada PURELY to export. Without a domestic market base to support the investment it's not likely to happen. That's why the import transplants (as Buzz Hargrove likes to call them) invariably produce a product that is expected to do well in the Canadian market, not just in the USA alone.

From a 2005 article in the Detroit News (link below):

"...CAW President Buzz Hargrove already has told his members the CAW won't accept calls to cut growth in wages, benefits and pensions during negotiations. There's increasing tension and widening perspectives on whether cutbacks are necessary at Big Three operations in Ontario.

No such problems plague Toyota, which two weeks ago announced it will open a $650 million assembly plant by 2007 in Woodstock, Ontario to build up to 100,000 small sport utility vehicles a year, saying it chose Ontario in part because of growing demand for SUVs in that region..."

My cynical view of governments everywhere is that they will support damn near anything that allows them to sprinkle taxpayer dollars and buy votes. They seem particularly overcome with enthusiasm to waste other peoples money when wooed by auto executives. How else to explain the Bricklin? And just to show this is not an exclusively North American phenomena, I present the DeLorean as Exhibit 2 (the Irish must have been recovering from a St Paddy's Day bender when they agreed to that one).

From the same article above:

"...Ontario's success also is tied to a Canadian $500 million fund the province created to attract automotive projects..."

Buzz must be tearing his hair out now that he realizes that too many of the Canadian Big 3 plants used government subsidies to attract monster
V-8 products like the Crown Victoria/Gran Marquis, Chevy Camaro (in Quebec) and full size pick-ups. At least the latter has some commercial application.

Link to article...