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View Full Version : Article: Holden sure better days ahead - aap



blackSRi
1st December 2005, 01:59 PM
What - a new V6 Turbo? darn I would love one of those in a Vectra! (it prob. wouldn't fit an Astra :-( )

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17424701-29277,00.html

AFTER a year in which an estimated 18,000 jobs were lost across the auto industry, Holden's chairman Denny Mooney has said he was confident the company would stabilise after its Elizabeth assembly plant in Adelaide sheds 1,400 workers in 2006.

The cut, announced in August, was one of about eight made this year in the Australian car manufacturing sector, include some by suppliers who lost Holden contracts.
But today at Holden's V6 engine plant in Melbourne, Mr Mooney addressed workers and packed the company's four-millionth engine for export.

He said the shipping of the 2.8-litre, turbo-charged V6,bound for the new SAAB convertible, was evidence that the company could bounce back.

"I think this is a testament to the confidence, not only that we have in our employees, the skills that we have here, the technology that we have here in Australia, but to the products that we can build here," Mr Mooney said.

He said some suppliers had lost contracts, however, "some suppliers are new suppliers that are also opening up facilities here that don't always make the same news that we get when a supplier loses a business".


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"Many of them are going to open up locally... in the next six to eight months there will be several suppliers that will be opening new plants here, creating new jobs.
"The business isn't shrinking right now the way it's being portrayed."

"Our export business on the vehicle side of the business hasn't been as strong as we had hoped it would be, but we think we're going to stabilise back on a two-shift operation (in Adelaide)."

Last month, Holden's parent company General Motors cut 10 per cent of its global workforce by slashing 30,000 jobs in north America.

"Even though in north America demand isn't what is use to be for General Motors, our demand in other parts of the world is growing and that's why components like this are very important," Mr Mooney said.

Victoria's Manufacturing and Export Minister Andre Haermeyer said today Australian manufacturers needed to look to niche markets, rather than compete with countries such as China for high-volume products.

"Some people have used the term crisis, there's no crisis in the industry, I think it's approaching a crossroads and we have to make sure we make the right decisions in terms of how it's positioned," he said.

"We're in a global economy and we have to compete there, but it's not going to be on the basis of producing high volume, low value-added product.

"We have to differentiate our product and it's got to be differentiated on quality."

Mr T
1st December 2005, 03:10 PM
If they didn't stuff up by chassing the 13,990 ticket (and other stuff) they wouldn't have to "bounce back".

Is't it funny that every other distributer in this country is offering their customers more...Holden just take it away ! ! !

Oh well, Mooney will get sacked soon and all will be good again...

GeeeAus
1st December 2005, 03:30 PM
Mooney is quite right. Holden has to change and realize certain economic home truths. GM is hurting globally, and that is very, very bad. It is now doing the kinds of this necessary to compete with it volume counterparts in Asia while it develops a longer term strategy for capturing markets that aren't so well penetrated.

The $13,990 deal for a new HoldWoo is exactly the kind of market leadership that GM want's to see in this region.

Supplying engines to Daewoo, Saab, Fiat, Alfa, Opel and Chevrolet is exactly the right thing. Now Holden has a hand in the largest small/medium car markers pie. More GM made small cars are made and sold than ANY other brand. The vast majority of engines are produced by Holden, Opel and GM Powertrain. Holden is one of the largest of the group, at time supplying significant stocks to other group members.

HOW can than possibly be bad. No Really……

By pitching its’ consumer segment at the new Barina and Viva, that it makes engines and parts for; it is able to have its’ cake and eat it too.

NICE WORK HOLDEN, VERY - VERY NICE......

Not bad for a car manufacturer that was going to close its’ doors in the eighties.

"HOLDEN IS DOING THE RIGHT THING, EVEN THOUGH THAT IS ALSO THE UNDESIRABLE THING. BECAUSE HERE, THE UNDESIRABLE THING IS ALL THAT CAN BE DONE IF HOLDEN WANTS TO CONTINUE TO BE PRODUCTIVE."

GeeeAus

Mr T
1st December 2005, 04:02 PM
That’s right they are achieving their corporate strategy...but that is the problem...the strategy is up the ****...

Think of it like this...how many people don’t buy Barina’s because they think they are made by Suzuki.

People's opinions are hard to change, so you can only stuff up once. Even though the BA is a better car than the VZ, more people buy the VZ because the Ford product has been unstable.

I work for a Hyundai Franchise, and let me tell you, these cars are centuries ahead of excel, but the public are still cautious of them because of the image. Getz just won NRMA best small car again (3 times in 4 years) and Sonata came second behind the 380 sympathy vote for best large car, yet Hyundai still only have 6% market share when their product has been continuously improving for a while now.

Toyota is the world’s best example of how to sell cars, they sell what the market wants not what the engineer’s or the board wants…they are now the second largest car manufacturer and the only car manufacturer in the top 4 that are still growing their market share. The Japanese don’t do anything too special, they just do what westerners do, but do it better.

Red AH SRI T
1st December 2005, 04:09 PM
If they didn't stuff up by chassing the 13,990 ticket (and other stuff) they wouldn't have to "bounce back".




That ticket is now down to $12990 :p

blackSRi
1st December 2005, 06:17 PM
Toyota also manufacture where skill levels are high labour costs low - eg Sth Africa - Corolla Sportivo

01CDsedan
1st December 2005, 07:53 PM
I've said it here quite a few times now, but I'll say it again - I think Holden's strategy at the moment is pretty much on the money.

People buying $13k cars care little about where they come from and wouldn't have a clue who makes them or where. They buy the things new, get them serviced occasionally, don't know where to put oil and water in and trade the thing in after five years and get something else.

It's the "cars as appliances" end of the market, and whoever can come up with the most car for the least money will win. Driving dynamics and materials quality and those sorts of things that make the Opel Corsa better than the Daewoo Kalos just don't rate a mention. (And for those who do care about such things, Ford will still happily sell you a Fiesta - just that Holden will be selling a lot more people a new Barina).

GeeeAus
1st December 2005, 09:43 PM
I've said it here quite a few times now, but I'll say it again - I think Holden's strategy at the moment is pretty much on the money.

People buying $13k cars care little about where they come from and wouldn't have a clue who makes them or where. They buy the things new, get them serviced occasionally, don't know where to put oil and water in and trade the thing in after five years and get something else.

It's the "cars as appliances" end of the market, and whoever can come up with the most car for the least money will win. Driving dynamics and materials quality and those sorts of things that make the Opel Corsa better than the Daewoo Kalos just don't rate a mention. (And for those who do care about such things, Ford will still happily sell you a Fiesta - just that Holden will be selling a lot more people a new Barina).

Correct, absolutely correct.

Holden has made the decision to listen to the buyers, and Viva and Barina are born.

It’s that simple.

Don’t think for a moment that Barina and Viva are stop gap measures. Like it or lump it (no doubt the latter is the case here at OpelAus for the most part)….

They are neither accidents nor mistakes, but the culmination of months of meticulous research and planning to satisfy the budget car segment.

They are turning cars into fridges and washing machines, the same thing is happening to computers.

He day of the widget has gone, appliances are now the order of business.

Red AH SRI T
1st December 2005, 09:50 PM
Acctually you are wrong

these cars ARE stop gap measures

when the new models of both the kalos and the lacetti come out holden will of had much more say in them and they will be much more what people expect from holden

GeeeAus
1st December 2005, 11:21 PM
Sorry my mistake, I should have chosen my words better.

What I should have said though is that these families of vehicles are in for the long hawl. Holden plans to continue to source this kind of product for the forseeable future.

I should have made more of an effort to make the distinction. Thanks Black AH CDXI for picking it up as others would have also.

GeeeAus

Red AH SRI T
2nd December 2005, 09:27 AM
WOOHOO IM NOW BLACK AH CDXI!!!!!

:p

GeeeAus
2nd December 2005, 10:12 AM
Yes, you are.

How do you like your promotion.....?

Red AH SRI T
2nd December 2005, 10:26 AM
i love it especially if its a 2006 model with full leather heated seats