Auto suppliers want US government bailout

[democracy1st]

Hell No !! Keeping the Automakers is enough


DETROIT, Michigan, (AFP) – Auto suppliers are preparing to head to Washington to ask for government help in surviving a deep slump in car sales that has slashed the production of new cars and trucks to the lowest level in a generation.

"We're formulating our position and the scope of what a potential ask might be," said David Andrea, vice president of Original Equipment Supplier Association, which is expected to handle the petition for the supplier companies.

Suppliers had already asked for help in November when Congress was considering a bailout of cash-strapped General Motors and Chrysler, who were granted 13.4 billion dollars in loans.

Since then, the situation has worsened as US production was slashed by 36 percent in December and is expected to be down even more in the first quarter after GM, Ford and Chrysler halted nearly all production in January.

To top it all off, Chrysler said it is seeking price cuts from suppliers as part of the viability plan it has to submit to the US Treasury Department on February 17.

Dozens of suppliers could be on the verge of collapse, warned Linda Hasenfratz, president of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association.

"There is no production. So there is no cash coming in," said Hasenfratz, who is also the chief executive officer of Linamar Corp. of Guelph, Canada.

But there are no easy fixes and the industry is headed for months of major restructuring and consolidation, warned Juergen Reers, managing partner for Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.


"They've had no revenues in recent weeks, which is putting further pressure on their liquidity. A lot of suppliers are cash constrained. Smaller and weaker suppliers are becoming insolvent."

Gerald Meyers, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, said nobody knows when the economy will improve.

"The supplier system is being dismembered," Meyers said.

Hundreds of suppliers currently employ an estimated 735,000 people and service not only the Detroit Three but also foreign transplants like Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, and BMW.

Two of the largest US-based suppliers -- Lear Corp. and American Axle Holdings Corp. -- gave stark assessments as they posted huge losses for 2008 last week.

"The US automotive industry has been pushed to the verge of collapse due to numerous adverse market, economic and competitive forces," Richard Dauch, American Axle chairman said Friday after his company posted a 1.2 billion dollar loss for 2008.

"These sharp declines in automotive production in North America and globally dramatically impacted our financial results," said Bob Rossiter chairman of Lear, which posted a 688 million dollar loss for the fourth quarter on Thursday.

One of the major suppliers considered most at risk is former Ford subsidiary Visteon Corp., which Ford said last week it has no plans to rescue.

Visteon spokesman Jim Fisher would not comment on rumors of an impending bankruptcy, but said government rescue package is critical.


Mitsubishi announced it was closing its assembly plant in Illinois until May and Nissan, Honda and Toyota have all ordered cuts in production at their US plants until they are reasonably sure that inventory won't pile up on dealer lots.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090201/bs_afp/financeuspoliticsautosuppliers

[Deja Q]

1. I want a bailout too!

And a wagon. A shiny red wagon.

And a hooker. A shiny red hooker.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Your wish is my command, Sahib.

[Still Sensible]

3. Screw this

If their slump is because of incredibly slow car sales than getting the US auto industry back on its feet will solve the problem. We cannot allow any of these add-on bailouts... Fix the economy and the auto industry and the rest will benefit.

[customerserviceguy]

4. If the suppliers go belly up

then the auto companies will as well.

I can see a major bailout package coming for the entire industry as the March deadline in Chimpy's limp bailout approaches.

[Donnachaidh]

5. If their production lines are NOT in the US -- let them go to the other countries

for financial help.

WHY should we bailout companies that took jobs from American workers? If they want bailouts, it should be tied to bringing those jobs BACK, and money released ONLY if they do so.

[NNN0LHI]

6. I am all for it

One thing I have discovered is if we don't get the money to subsidize jobs if need be, the Republicans will figure out how to give it all to their wealthy friends anyway.

Don