WCA March 2014

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Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2014
From the Americas
The USA Today reporters also made a shrewd guess that, at
times, “money changes hands out of the FAA’s gaze.”
❖ New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd
observed that it will be interesting to monitor coverage
by the Washington Post of its new owner – Amazon’s
Jeff Bezos – as he takes on the FAA over drone
regulations. Allied with the Motion Picture Association
of America, which is working for the right of directors
to use drones for aerial shots, Mr Bezos wants private
unmanned drones to be permitted to share the skies
with commercial aircraft.
Wrote Ms Dowd: “A degree in drone management can’t
be far off.” (“Mommy, the Drone’s Here!”, 4th December).
Automotive
General Motors will pull the Chevrolet out
of Europe to concentrate on becoming
more competitive in South Korea
In what the Detroit Free Press termed “a sharp reversal
of its global strategy for its most iconic brand,” General
Motors on 5th December announced plans to largely
withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe.
GM’s then-CEO Dan Akerson acknowledged that the
company’s Opel brand was competing directly with
Chevrolet in the European market. The automaker’s
reasoning is that, by removing the Chevy, it clears the way
for Opel.
“Europe is a key region for GM that will benefit from a
stronger Opel and Vauxhall and further emphasis on [the
luxury brand] Cadillac,” Mr Akerson said in a statement.
“For Chevrolet, it will allow us to focus our investments
where the opportunity for growth is greatest.”
With respect to GM’s stated aim of maximising sales
opportunities in its Korean operations, business writer
Nathan Bomey of the Free Press pointed out that most
Chevys sold in Western and Eastern Europe are built in
South Korea.
While the company has had some problems with unions
there, GM Korea CEO Sergio Rocha declared an intention
“to continue to become more competitive in Korea.”
In so doing, Mr Rocha said in a statement: “We will position
ourselves for long-term competitiveness and sustainability...
while remaining a significant contributor to GM’s global
business.”
❖ General Motors does appear to be keeping both its
European and Asian prospects firmly in view. The
company said ‘select iconic’ Chevrolets, such as the
Corvette Stingray, would still be sold in Europe. It also
said that its decision to stop offering the Chevrolet in
Europe does not affect the seven-year, $600 million
sponsorship agreement it signed in 2012 with European
soccer franchise Manchester United to promote the
Chevy brand.
“[Ours] is a global partnership, very much focused on
the fans in Asia and specifically China,” GM spokesman
Vijay Iyer said in an email to Mr Bomey. “The next big
step will be season 2014/15 when the Chevrolet Bowtie
will be featured on the Man United shirt.”
❖ After leading General Motors Co through a difficult
three years, Dan Akerson stepped down as chairman
and CEO on 15th January. Mary Barra – executive vice
president of global product development, purchasing
and supply chain – was elected by the GM board of
directors to succeed him. Ms Barra, who will also join
the board, will be the first-ever female CEO of any major
automaker.
The 10th December announcement of Mr Akerson’s
impending retirement came a day after the US
government sold its remaining stake in GM from the
2008-2009 auto industry bailout. And, as noted by
automotive reporter Michael Wayland of the Michigan
media group Mlive, it came less than three months after
Mr Akerson said that “a car gal” could one day lead a
Detroit automaker.
Ms Barra, a 33-year GM veteran, started her career as
a General Motors Institute-Kettering University co-op
student at the Pontiac Motor Div, earning a Bachelor
of Science degree in electrical engineering. She rose
in the company through a series of manufacturing,
engineering, and senior staff positions including vice
president of global manufacturing engineering, executive
director of competitive operations engineering, and
manager of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. She
is credited by many with helping lead the company’s
ongoing turnaround.
“Mary is one of the most gifted executives I’ve met in my
career,” Mr Akerson said during a media conference call.
“She was picked for her talent, not for her gender [or]
for political correctness.”
Elsewhere in automotive . . .
❖ After Detroit’s bankruptcy filing in July 2013, the
organisers of the North American International Auto
Show 2014 were in some anxiety about the impact on
overseas carmakers with bookings at the 25th annual
show, set for 13th-14th January.
In addition to offering assurances as to security and
services, the NAIAS organisers floated what Detroit Free
Press business writer Brent Snavely termed “a more
subtle message.”
“This is almost on a subconscious level,” said show
chairman Bob Shuman. “But do you want to be the
manufacturer that abandoned Detroit? This is the year
you better come strong to Detroit, because you don’t
want to be the guy who ran out on us.”
The subliminal message got through. In the event, no
major automaker backed out of its commitment.
On the eve of the show the Detroit Auto Dealers
Association (DADA) was expecting at least 40 all-new or
redesigned vehicles to be unveiled.