No hogs for Murfreesboro
Posted on November 5, 2009 at 7:54 am
Harley-Davidson officials have eliminated Murfreesboro and Shelbyville, Ind., from the short list of cities where it might move its 2,300-employee York, Pa., operations.
permalink | Comment on this post
Big wheels driving Nissan sales
Posted on November 4, 2009 at 9:20 am
Nissan North America’s truck sales rose more than 17 percent last month, helping the Franklin-based auto maker post an overall volume increase of almost 8 percent. Shipments of Infiniti-brand vehicles, however, fell almost 10 percent.
permalink | Comment on this post
For the people, with the people
Posted on November 3, 2009 at 7:27 am
Spring Hill Mayor Michael Dinwiddie has begun working the line at GM’s Spring Hill plant, where the last Chevy Traverse will roll off the line in three weeks.
permalink | Comment on this post
One in eight Tennessee factory jobs gone since 2007
Posted on November 2, 2009 at 12:49 pmMore bleak data from the manufacturing sector: Tennessee factories has shed more than 56,000 jobs since September of 2007. The automotive sector accounts for more than 9,000 of those losses and has been laying off workers more quickly than the rest of the industry.
Cash for clunkers’ local boost
Posted on October 30, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Middle Tennessee’s factory sector saw a nice boost in activity during September, with hours worked at durable goods manufacturers jumping almost 20 percent.
Nissan’s electric project getting tax breaks
Posted on October 29, 2009 at 10:56 am
The Rutherford County Industrial Development Board will cut the auto maker $62 million worth of slack over 20 years in return for the more than 1,700 jobs expected to be created at its electric car and battery operations.
permalink | Comment on this post
Ghosn: Electric cars need regulatory help
Posted on at 8:12 am
Speaking at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that — between public perception and emerging-market growth — the auto industry has no choice but to dive headlong into the production of cars that don’t need fossil fuels. That said, he does say car makers need a good bit of government help to build a mass market.
The equipment isn’t cheap: A quick-charge device, Ghosn said, costs $30,000 — an investment that might make sense once there is a critical mass of electric-car drivers already on the road, but something that could seem expensive for service station owners in a market where electric cars remain rare. He called for governments to step in and spur the market via regulation. One idea: Make quick-charge facilities mandatory for anyone operating a gas station starting in 2012.
GDP growth tops estimates
Posted on at 7:44 amThe consensus from economists on third-quarter economic acticity had been growth of 3.3 percent. The Bureau of Economic Analysis says it was a little higher than that, with the auto industry — thanks to cash for clunkers — accounting for almost half of the growth.
permalink | Comment on this post
Which begs the question: Why not Spring Hill?
Posted on October 26, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Hybrid electric-car maker Henrik Fisker plans to convert a 52-year-old former GM plant in Delaware with the help of a massive credit line from the Department of Energy. (For more on Fisker, check out this Forbes story.)
I already have two possible answers to my question, one practical, the other political. The first: The Wilmington plant already has closed, while Spring Hill will crank out cars for a few more weeks. The second: This gentleman is from Delaware.
Got any other good answers?
Nissan gets into the battery recycling business
Posted on October 20, 2009 at 10:53 amNissan Motor Co. said it will set up a joint venture with a Japanese trading house for recycling of electric car batteries.
Nissan said Tuesday the joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation is expected to begin operations in late 2010 in Japan and the United States. The companies have yet to finalize details including the capitalization of the venture.
The launch is in line with a potential surge in demand for electric vehicles powered by batteries.
permalink | Comment on this post
Harley sets a timeline for ‘Boro decision
Posted on October 16, 2009 at 10:19 amExecutives at Harley-Davidson say they will likely choose what to do with their York, Pa., plant in December. Murfreesboro is in the running for the factory, which would bring with it some 2,000 jobs.
permalink | Comment on this post
Pennsylvania prepared to pay $20M for Harley
Posted on October 14, 2009 at 10:28 amGov. Ed Rendell said Pennsylvania has up to $20 million in incentives ready if Harley-Davidson officials will commit to sizable job growth at a retooled York plant that may move to Murfreesboro.
permalink | Comment on this post
Nissan makes like a fish
Posted on October 12, 2009 at 10:11 amFrom NPR’s Morning Edition:
Researchers at Nissan have been studying how quickly and how closely individual fish can swim together without bumping into each other. Last week, at a technology show outside Tokyo, the carmaker unveiled a group of little robots that mimic fish, using hi-tech wizardry that could end up in future vehicles.
permalink | Comment on this post
Hopeful Harley noises from Pennsylvania
Posted on October 9, 2009 at 10:27 am
Harley-Davidson officials and union representatives say a plan to restructure the motorbike maker’s York, Pa., plant just might work. Murfreesboro is in the running for a new factory should it not.
permalink | Comment on this post
The trouble with being in the auto business right now
Posted on October 8, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Companies in many sectors are complaining about the lack of available credit, but few could say they have it as bad as automotive suppliers. WPLN’s Daniel Potter reports on the hunt for capital and the rays of hope in auto manufacturing.
“Even good suppliers are being viewed skeptically by and large because they’re associated with the automotive industry. And the industry as a whole is in fairly difficult shape.”
DeKoker has tracked about 50 parts supplier bankruptcies so far – nowhere near the fallout he would’ve predicted in this economy. He chalks that up to companies “hibernating” – slowing production in hopes of lasting until business can pick up again.
Recent Comments
We don’t know the final...
This report shows that the downfall started when the...
What an ego, the next thing you know the unio will want to consult prior...
Wow HCA pays its Employee’s to...
Another SEIU power play to show how important they are. Their...
Taxation caused the moves to Mexico. In an upcoming...
This reports shows that the downfall started under Bush....
In this era, the government jobs are created at...
Added government jobs are also the hardest to...
Interesting question, oatka, and here is a...