Saturday, April 23, 2005
Southern Business and Development magazine reports that an automaker is considering four sites, one of which is in South Carolina, near Aiken. The other sites are in Chattanooga, Savannah, and Athens, GA. According to the magazine, the automaker could be Toyota, Kia or Audi. Read more.
The auto industry's shift South is a clear and long-standing trend in investment. A recent article in the Detroit newspaper outlines how this shift impacts Michigan. Read more.
The changes are only beginning. DaimlerChrysler is considering building subcompacts in China for export to the U.S. Company executives hope to avoid any political fall-out by marketing the car under a new name plate. Read more here, here and here.
Here are the numbers that, in part, are driving the shift. According to the New York Times, wages and benefits cost DaimlerChrysler 38 euros an hour in Germany ($49.75), 28 euros an hour in the United States, 4.5 euros an hour in Brazil and 1.5 euros an hour in China.
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
Selecting an auto assembly site?
