Now we know why they're Red States

[Dr.Phool]

This is from "News of the Weird". Actual strange news, thats factual. This was in my Oct. 2005 issue of "Funny Times". I couldn't find a link, so I'll just post it here.

LEAST COMPETENT PEOPLE

Citing the high quality of the workforce in Ontario, Canada, Toyota decided recently to build a second plant in the province (this time in Woodstock) even thoughOntario was offering only about half the subsidy offered by Mississippi and Alabama to build the plant in one of those states. A trade association executive said the industry had learned from Nissan and Honda, which had found the workforce in the U.S. South to be often untrained and illiterate, and that in Alabama trainers had to use pictorials to teach some workers how to use the equipment.

[YOY]

1. Love this Quote

"...had found the workforce in the U.S. South to be often untrained and illiterate, and that in Alabama trainers had to use pictorials to teach some workers how to use the equipment."

C'mon all you Freeps! Shout it ad nuaseum: USA! USA! USA! We're NUMBER 1!!!

[Dr.Phool]

3. I remember back in the '90s

My company's parent company, LTV Steel, got a lot of concessions from the Steelworkers Union, then promptly stabbed them in the back by starting to build a state of the art mini-mill in Alabama.

They never could get the people to run it, plus lack of skilled infrastructure. It lost hundreds of millions for a few years before the shut it down.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dr.Phool]

6. I got to retire to Florida at age 50

Because those idiots at LTV ran it into the ground. I worked in the Railroads division in Cleveland for 31 years.

[YOY]

9. Lucky you

I had do leave Cleveland, Ohio...no jobs. I couldn't even get my career halfway started until now. Even now, I barely make ends meet. All hail the Shrub economy in all its glory!!!

2 of my 3 siblings did as well. Ohio has truly gone down the crapper. I am sad to say that a byproduct of the exodus of so many professionals and young educated folks is that the uneducated redneck mentality has at-times seem to become the majority there.

[Dr.Phool]

12. I've still got a house in Cleveland

That I've been trying to sell for 3 years. Nice neighborhood, West Park area. No buyers.

[YOY]

14. Send me the information

My little brother is looking. He stayed behind and has a decent sales job going.

What price range?
Are you going through an agent?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

21. Freeps will just point out

the large black population in Alabama and turn it into a racial issue.

[marbuc]

2. Yeah, I saw this a couple of months back

after they relocated the first plant.

[Not Me]

4. Here's the article

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html

[Batgirl]

7. I doubt most of these people

are inherently mentally inferior. How many are unskilled and illiterate because of the ongoing assault on public schools by the right wing? I think this illustrates another way that these people have been shit on by the very regimes many of them have been hoodwinked into supporting.

[Dr.Phool]

10. My point exactly

Last year Jeb Bush was trying to spend hundres of millions of dollars to get a California bio-tech firm to relocate in Florida. It started to fizzle out when they figured out that they'd have to bring in workers from out of state, because the education system is so bad down here.

[BiggJawn]

8. Oh, FEEL the LOVE here!

Perhaps if people in these "Red" states were better educated, they might stop voting for ReTHUGlicans?

[dad]

11. GET OFF THE RED STATES

What color state recalled a Democratic governor and elected Arnold Schwarzenegger?

[BiggJawn]

13. Exactly.

I hate this "Red state, Blue state, One state, Two state" bullshit just as much as the next smart guy.

[tx_dem41]

15. Cute

:eyes:

What's the name of that Paul Simon albumn?

[MisterP]

23. why pick on Calif.?

we pay for much of the other states, anyhoo, and everyone picks on us as the "land of fruits and nuts," lattes and shallow movie stars and gays and Jews and "Left Coast liberals dragging the party down." And where's our martyr complex? I want a Californian martyr complex!

[cynatnite]

26. Our por ejucashon is jes aful!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Alamom]

17. Money, Unions and a Different Story In US Papers........oh and

Canada is in a little trouble with their auto industry...

COMMENTS WELCOME


In addition to lower training costs, Canadian workers are also $4 to $5 cheaper to employ partly thanks to the taxpayer-funded health-care system in Canada, said federal Industry Minister David Emmerson.

Tanguay said Toyota's decision on where to build its seventh North American plant was "not only about money."

The factory will cost $800 million to build, with the federal and provincial governments kicking in $125 million of that to help cover research, training and infrastructure costs.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html
(The link, same story. One tiny fact left out. MONEY)




Toyota V6 Engine Production begins in Alabama
2005/9/12 9:55:27

Toyota V6 Engine Production begins in Alabama
Huntsville, Ala. -- Alabama and Huntsville area leaders joined Toyota (NYSE:TM) officials and team members August 29 for a celebration marking the production of the first V6 engine at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL). TMMAL now employs more than 500 team members and has the capacity to produce 120,000 V8 and 130,000 V6 engines annually. An expansion underway to increase V8 production will further boost employment to 800 and total investment to nearly a half billion dollars by 2006.

Toyota Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada addressed the plant’s team members and thanked them for their talent and work ethic.

“This V6 engine will power the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma, named Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year for 2005,” he said. “You have, once again, been given a great responsibility for producing a product very important to our company and you have shown your ability to respond to the challenge.”

Kunihiko Ogura, president of TMMAL since April, congratulated team members and thanked the state and local community for its support.
We have a bright future ahead for TMMAL, for this community and for Alabama,” Ogura added.


http://www.autospectator.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1893


Foreign Automakers Continue Expansions into the South

Companies continue to build plants, grow work force throughout the region, thanks in part to states’ willingness to attract them.



< 9/14/2005 > By: Ken Krizner, Managing Editor

For the past two decades, foreign automobile manufacturers have redefined the industry landscape in the United States. They have sought out large expanses of land in the southern portion of the country from which to establish its grip on the U.S. market.

Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas, eager to grow their manufacturing bases, have welcomed foreign automakers with numerous incentives, an abundant supply of industrial sites, a skilled work force and a non-union environment.

“They are very interested in bringing jobs and supporting jobs in the South,” said Jim Morton

Canton, Miss
The company employs about 5,300 workers in Canton, and an additional 30,000 jobs have been created as a result of suppliers locating near the facility. By 2010, more than 26,000 additional high-wage jobs will be created, including those directly employed by the facility, and suppliers, retailers, service and support operations needed to accommodate the operation.

Nissan so believed that it had made the right choice in selecting Canton that it announced an expansion halfway through the original construction. The automaker added 1 million square feet to the original 2.5 million square feet.

Hyundai Opens Alabama Facility


South Korea-based Hyundai is hoping for success in the south similar to Nissan and Toyota. In May, the company began operations at its assembly plant in Montgomery, Ala. It is Hyundai’s first U.S. manufacturing plant.

Alabama, in turn, is hoping for similar success that Mercedes-Benz and Honda have found after siting manufacturing plants in the state.

Hyundai is producing the next generation Sonata with 2,000 employees. Next year, the automaker will begin production on the Santa Fe SUV. More employees will be added next month when the second shift begins.

At full capacity, the plant will produce 300,000 vehicles annually.

http://www.expansionmanagement.com/smo/newsviewer/default.asp?cmd=articledetail&articleid=16643&st=3


(Jumping ship on the battered South?)
Ripples felt far and wide
Hurricane may take huge toll on energy, commerce

By Adam Geller, Associated Press
September 2, 2005


Katrina's bottom lines

• Automakers: Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, but it also could slam an inland spot: Detroit. Even as the natural disaster sends gasoline prices soaring, the auto industry still is banking on the same sorts of products that have sustained it in the last decade, when fuel prices were relatively low: gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. As a result, everyone from beleaguered General Motors Corp., which is rolling out a slew of new big trucks in hopes of restoring profits, to vaunted Japanese competitors such as Toyota Motor Corp. is under threat.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_4048593,00.html

,00.html

Mercedes-Benz
U. S. International
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Welcome to Tuscaloosa County Alabama, U.S.A, and the factory where the 2nd generation M-Class and the newest member of our Mercedes-Benz line, the R-Class is manufactured.

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) started with a clean sheet of paper, in terms of vehicle concept, in the way it would produce the M-Class and the R-Class, in the design of the factory, and in the establishment of a new corporate culture . The result is Mercedes-Benz vehicles which will set the standard in the industry.

We build the M-Class and the R-Class here in Alabama using MBUSI’s original production system which is a combination of American, Japanese, and German automotive best practices. This process contributes to the quality manufacturing of our products in a way that is safe, efficient, and predictable.

http://www.mbusi.com/



Mercedes Manufacturing Excellence… in Alabama
Welcome to Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, U.S.A., and the manufacturing facility where the M-Class and the newest member of the Mercedes-Benz line, the R-Class is assembled. Everything is under one roof… from Body, Paint, and Assembly shops to Administration. This unity helps to emphasize the importance of teamwork and fosters team member communication in order to help build consistent quality into all our Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

MBUSI Factory MBUSI's Production Capacity Expands …
Since 2001, MBUSI has undergone a $600 million expansion that doubled production capacity to 160,000 vehicles per year, doubled the workforce to approximately 4,000, and doubled the size of the plant to about three-million square feet. Total capital investment in Tuscaloosa is now more than $1 billion.



http://www.mbusi.com/pages/factory_home.asp



Saturday, July 19, 2003


UAW says it will unionize Alabama Mercedes plant


By Associated Pres


VANCE, Ala. -- After years of trying, the United Auto Workers claims it will soon unionize the Mercedez-Benz plant in Alabama, a move that would be a major boost for labor.

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0307/19/autos-221385.htm



Canadian Auto Industry: The Road Ahead

That experience and a few years spent as chairman of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada gave him the equivalent of a front seat during the rollercoaster ride the country's most important manufacturing industry has endured in the past six years.

Picture the years leading up to 1999 -- when Canada came close to producing more vehicles than Michigan -- as the long climb to the top.

Then came the plunge, as three Canadian assembly plants and thousands of jobs disappeared and it seemed like a new plant was being announced every day in the U.S. South. The bottom hit in 2003, when DaimlerChrysler AG scrapped plans to build a new assembly plant in Windsor.

"To lose that was like a kick in the guts," says Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers. The union thought it had won a commitment for the plant during 2002 contract negotiations.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050915/SRAUTOMAIN15/TPBusiness/Canadian



edit:typo

[applegrove]

18. Because we have universal health care. Mall rats pay for health

care.. not each employer.

[Alamom]

19. Could you elaborate. I don't know how your Healthcare System

is handled. This article makes it sound as if it is wonderful for you and allows companies to pay employees less..


However, the OP article also states this company left the South due to incompentence and obviously this is not the case. They left due to wage scales, possible unionization by the UAW and maybe even Hurricane damage.

BTW, I did not make this post due to this company choosing Canada instead of a Southern State. I believe in giving everyone a fair shake. As you can see, the South has many auto manufacturing companies and plants, more on the way and our unemployment level is much lower than most states.

Looks like the spokesman for Toyota needed a "good excuse" for the location choice.

edit;typo

[applegrove]

20. They pay employees less because they do not have to have a

health plan. Health plan in Canada gets paid for anytime you buy something like clothing or home furnishings. Also income tax.

So employees are paying for their own health care through taxes. Companies are out of the equation but get healthier employees. Better preventive care. And a small business does not go belly up because one employee gets a bad & expensive chronic illness. We share the risk of serious illness across the generations and income level. If you are young & poor - but spend all your money on drinks at a bar & clothing..even at a second hand shop - you are paying taxes.

Education works the same way. Our richer provinces (often more populous) subsidize the poorer provinces up to a point. So education is good across the board. We have not abandoned our cities.

For a number of reasons - we get lots of plants.

[Alamom]

22. Thank you for the explanation. I hope one day our government

uses our taxes for the betterment & health of the people.
If I insulted you in any way, it was not my intent and I apologize.

The article was insulting to me and my State.

[sandnsea]

24. Blame the unions?

It's comical. After reading the articles and the comments, you blame the unions. You live in a state that you have to know is at the bottom of the education rates in the country and always has been. Crime and social problems are off the charts all across the south. Alabama's cancer, heart and infant mortality rates are all among the worst in the country; and the US mortality rates are some of the worst in the industrialized world.

But you stick your head in the sand and say, wohoo, our unemployment rates are low!!

And wonder why the people in your state keep voting in Republicans. I guess you do anyway.

Sorry to be harsh but I am so damned frustrated with suffering the consequences of people who think like you do.

[Syrinx]

25. let's check the facts, shall we?

Mark Morrison, spokesman for Honda in Lincoln, said he was puzzled by Fedchun's comments. Honda has invested $1.1 billion in Alabama since 1996 and set company records in establishing operations. The automaker now has 4,500 employees in the state. "Obviously, Honda electing to expand its operation before we even got Line 1 at full capacity speaks volumes of the quality of the workforce that we have in Alabama," Morrison said. The Lincoln plant handles all North American production of the Odyssey minivan, which was once made at Honda's plant in Ontario. "The goals that we have met and exceeded have been a tribute to the capability and trainability of our workforce," he said.

As for Fedchun's claims that Honda has had to use pictures to train its workers, Morrison said other than engineering diagrams that all manufacturers use, that is not true.

"No, we have not had to do that," he said.

*snip*

Dennis Cuneo, senior vice president of Toyota's North American operations, took exception to Fedchun's comments in a letter Thursday.
"We operate an engine plant in Huntsville, Ala., and I was in charge of the site selection for that plant," Cuneo wrote to Fedchun. "We spent a considerable amount of time and effort in the site selection process, and carefully studied the skill levels of the potential workforce before we selected our Alabama site." Cuneo noted that nearly one-third of the workers at the Huntsville plant are college graduates and 97 percent have at least a high school education."Huntsville ... is the city that put the first man on the moon," Cuneo wrote. "Huntsville ranks second among the top metropolitan areas in the U.S. for scientists and engineers per capita, and has the second largest research and technology park in the U.S."

*snip*

Cuneo said Toyota has already announced two expansions in Huntsville and will have $490 million invested and employ about 800 when the projects are completed. "As you might imagine, that kind of investment is confirmation of the confidence that we have in our Alabama workforce," he wrote.

*snip*

http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1120814483136400.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

[southlandshari]

27. Locking

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