Chrysler Looks at Human Biology In Design of New CNG Vehicles

 

• Patent-pending technology mimics human lungs to benefit CNG-tank capacity, formability

• Technology development supported by grant from Michigan Economic Development Council’s Technology Innovation Challenge

• Chrysler Group builds the industry’s only mass-production CNG-powered pickup, a Ram 2500

Chrysler Group is looking inward – to the human body – for inspiration to design the next generation of fuel tanks powering compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.

“Within the human lung are countless individual sacks called alveoli,” says Enrico Pisino, Chrysler Group’s Senior Manager-Innovation. “These sacks combine to expand the lung’s total air capacity. We are using this same approach to improve the packaging of CNG tanks.”

Chrysler Group’s work is supported in part by a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Council’s Technology Innovation Challenge, which matches companies with Michigan-based strategic partners to accelerate advanced-technology initiatives.

While CNG has a per-gallon-equivalent cost-advantage of approximately $1 compared with gasoline, its energy density is less by volume. As a result, CNG-powered vehicles require larger fuel tanks to deliver range that is comparable to that of gas- or diesel-powered vehicles.

Current CNG tank designs also are limited to cylindrical shapes to accommodate the pressure at which the gaseous fuel is stored.

Chrysler Group’s patent-pending technology addresses both issues by expanding tank capacity and enabling designs that conform to the vehicle, as do other fuel tanks. The result is a no-compromise solution that preserves space intended for passengers and/or cargo.

Chrysler Group already has a CNG vehicle on the market. The Ram 2500 Compressed Natural Gas truck is the industry’s only factory-built CNG-powered pickup, rolling off the same assembly line as conventionally powered vehicles

Available for retail and fleet sale, the Ram 2500 Compressed Natural Gas truck features a 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine that burns CNG. When that fuel is depleted, it automatically and seamlessly switches to gasoline.

On a single fill-up, the truck can travel 255 miles on CNG and a total of 745 miles when equipped with an available 35-gallon reserve gas tank.

Chrysler Group has a long history with CNG. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the company produced dedicated CNG-powered full-size vans, minivans and pickup trucks.

Chrysler Group’s strategic partner, Fiat S.p.A, is a world leader in CNG-powered vehicle production.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, a five-part ebook essay series is available anywhere ebooks are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes. The series begins with the Great Collapse, the story of the fall of the auto industry and how it brought most of Michigan down with it.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how Grand Rapids, Michigan survived The Great Collapse with the help of scientists, artists, zombies (yes, zombies), and two of the world's richest families.

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold online and on the shelves of Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For more of Rod Kackley's books, articles and essays, go to www.rodkackley.com and download his free app through Google Play and the App Store. 

Ford To Hire Thousands, Build New Factories, and Launch 23 New Products

* Ford in 2014 will launch the most vehicles globally in a single year than in more than a century

* To support its aggressive growth strategy, Ford is set to open two manufacturing facilities in Asia Pacific and one in South America

* Ford to add more than 5,000 new U.S. jobs — including 3,300 salaried positions — in 2014 on top of more than 14,000 new hires in the past two years to support its growth momentum

This is the kind of news that could change the “bad track record” that George Erickcek, a senior economist at the W. E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo pointed out during The Right Place Inc.’s Economic Outlook event, December 12,2013 in Grand Rapids.

He said manufacturers are having trouble getting young people to work in Michigan’s factories because so any jobs have been lost since 2000.

Now comes the news that Ford Motor Company is hiring thousands of people worldwide.

Of course this is happening because Ford believes it has A Better Idea, or maybe I should write, 23 Better Ideas.

Ford next year will launch 23 new vehicles to customers around the world, open three more manufacturing facilities and add more than 5,000 new jobs in the United States to meet growing demand for its products.

“We are embarking on our most ambitious global launch year ever to meet customer demand for our products around the world,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Ford global product development. 

Ford expects its global launches next year to more than double those of 2013.

Ford Motor Company expects its product momentum to intensify in 2014 with 16 new vehicle launches in North America, including Lincoln. These new vehicles include Ford Mustang, Ford Transit Connect, Ford Transit and Lincoln MKC. In all, Ford expects to have about three times the number of product launches next year in North America than in 2013.

“We saw unprecedented growth in the United States this year, especially in the midsize and utility segments,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “With the addition of 16 new products to our showroom, including Ford Mustang, our momentum continues.”

Production of the all-new Transit will begin in second-quarter 2014 at Ford’s newly retooled Kansas City Assembly Plant. Ford is investing $1.1 billion to retool and expand the facility.

Kansas City Assembly Plant will add more than 2,000 jobs – more than 1,000 of which are new hires – to support high demand for Ford F-150 plus production of the all-new Transit family of commercial vehicles starting next summer.

To support the new products, Ford will open three new manufacturing facilities – two of them in Asia Pacific and one in South America.

Next year, Ford is on track to open its Changan Ford Assembly Plant No. 3 and Changan Transmission Plant in Chongqing, China, as well as Camaçari Engine Plant in Brazil. The new Chongqing Assembly Plant will increase the company’s production capacity in China by 300,000 units next year.

“This is the fastest and most aggressive manufacturing expansion the company has undergone in 50 years,” said John Fleming, executive vice president, Ford global manufacturing. “The last time Ford was growing like this, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the U.S. president.”

To fuel this growth, Ford plans to hire more than 6,000 employees in Asia next year, the vast majority of them hourly employees. Similarly, in the United States, Ford expects to create more than 5,000 new jobs, including 3,300 salaried positions, the largest hiring initiative since 2000. 

In the past two years, the company has created more than 14,000 jobs in North America alone.

More than 80 percent of the new salaried jobs will be technical professionals who work in product development, manufacturing, quality and IT.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance is a five-part ebook series that explores the collapse and rebirth of manufacturing in Michigan. The series is available wherever ebooks are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the stories of the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan and how they used scientists, physicians, artists and zombies — along with two of the richest families in the world — to chance the way the global community sees this American community.

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold, including Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street, and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.

For free reads of the Restore The Roar series and Last Chance Mile, please go to www.rodkackley.com or download Rod Kackley’s free app through Google Play or the App Store.

GM Renaissance Center Sends No Waste to Landfill

DETROIT, Dec. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The General Motors Renaissance Center – the six-tower office complex that dominates the city's skyline and has its own ZIP code – now recycles, reuses or converts all its daily waste to energy, diverting 5 million pounds of trash annually from landfill. That is the equivalent of 200,000 full garbage bags.

The drive to make the Renaissance Center, home of GM's Global Headquarters, landfill-free took more than two years. The process included coordination with GM employees, recycling partners, business tenants and their employees, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and property management company, CBRE.

"This is a significant achievement considering all the waste from workers, shoppers, diners and hotel guests — ranging from half-eaten hamburgers to used mattresses — that will not end up in a landfill," saidMike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs. "By working together, we reduce our footprint while helping build a greener economy and a greener Detroit."

The Renaissance Center is the most complex among GM's 110 landfill-free sites to reach the milestone. It's the company's only facility open to the public. Covering 5.5 million square feet, the building houses the Western Hemisphere's tallest all-hotel skyscraper, 11 other businesses, 20 restaurants and 27 retailers. It accommodates 12,000 office workers and 3,000 visitors daily.

The journey toward landfill-free began with a dumpster dive, searching through trash to identify reuse and recycling opportunities. Combining that insight with the building's historical waste data, GM teamed with all the business tenants, environmental staffs and CBRE to engage people in increasing paper, plastic, and battery recycling. Educating how and where to recycle, as well as making it convenient to do so, changed behavior.

A number of partners make landfill-free possible. GM worked closely with Waste Management, an international leader in recycling, to coordinate its needs with partners around the region to meet the goal. Royal Oak Recycling bales and ships paper to mills across the country where it is turned into items like cereal boxes and tissue paper. A Detroit nonprofit receives all returnable bottles and cans as a donation for youth outreach programs. Waste Management's Detroit Recycling Center recycles cardboard and plastic, and Veolia Environmental Services ensures batteries are properly recycled.

GM's abundance of recyclable waste contributed to the economic growth of a new business called Hamtramck Recycling. The company sorts the Renaissance Center's mixed packaging material and odd-shaped and bulky items. The company's bulk shredder helps GM and other companies in Southeast Michigan manage their waste streams and increase recycling.

The Renaissance Center now recycles 49 percent of its total waste, an improvement of 127 percent since the drive to landfill-free began in 2011. The remaining waste, including food scraps and used containers, is converted to energy through a facility located a few blocks away; creating renewable energy that powers other Detroit businesses.

Even with auto industry leadership in landfill-free facilities, GM and its partners are continually seeking better ways to manage waste.

GM published a downloadable blueprint , "The Business Case for Zero Waste", to help companies of all sizes and industries reduce waste and create efficiencies. For more information on the company'senvironmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an  American Community tells the story of how a cluster of prosperity was created in Grand Rapids while the rest of Michigan was crashing down around it.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community is available wherever books are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes, as well as on the shelves of Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For more of Rod Kackley's books, articles and essays, please go to www.rodkackley.com or download the free Rod Kackley app for Android or iOS devices.

What Is Manufacturing's Problem?

What Is Manufacturing’s Problem?

By Rod Kackley

Manufacturing drives Michigan. Every job created in manufacturing leads to 2.5 new jobs in the state, according to George Erickcek, a senior economist at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

He told his audience at the 17th Annual West Michigan Economic Outlook event in Grand Rapids all of the job growth in Michigan in 2013 was due to manufacturing.

However, manufacturing employment is still 24,000 jobs below the number of people working in that sector in 2000, and is 3,800 less than 2008. 

Still, there are jobs to be filled in Michigan’s factories. Skilled workers are in high demand. Where are the workers? Where is Michigan manufacturing’s lost generation?

Erickcek believes manufacturing is having so much trouble finding young workers to fill jobs that are being created by the resurgence of the auto industry and the retirements of seasoned manufacturing employees because it has such a bad reputation.

One generation told another factory life was not for them. And for once, their kids believed them.

“Manufacturing’s track record doesn’t look that good to eighteen-year olds,” Erickcek said during The Right Place Inc. event inside the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, December 12, 2013.

Yet, he believes manufacturing is going to continue to fuel Michigan’s economy. 

The strength of Michigan’s leading economic sector could actually be a blessing in disguise for those eighteen-year olds looking for work, and their parents who want them to stay in Michigan even if the teens have no desire to turn a wrench.

Erickcek pointed to 2014 auto sales forecasts of more than 16 million vehicles, and said, “The car industry is going to give Michigan the breathing room to diversify and no be such a one-horse town.”


Grand Rapids, Michigan has its own talent issues, which are an example of why diversifying is so important. Click here for that story.

Where Are The Workers, the second book in the five-part ebook series, Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance by Rod Kackley, is available wherever ebooks are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and vook.com.

Scientists, artists, zombies and two of the richest families in the world helped Grand Rapids, Michigan change the way it is seen by the world, and the way the world sees this American community.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells their stories, and is available wherever books are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes, as well as Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center.

To order an autographed hardcover or softcover edition of Last Chance Mile, please go to www.rodkackley.com

For more books, articles, and essays written by Rod Kackley, please download his free app through Google Play or the App Store, or go to www.rodkackley.com.

Michigan Poised To Become Global Center of Mobility

DETROIT, Mich., December 11, 2013 — Michigan has the potential to grow up to 100,000 new jobs in the state’s important automotive sector by becoming a center of excellence in advanced powertrain, lightweight and smart/connected transportation technologies. 

That’s according to a strategy advanced today by Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable dedicated to making Michigan a Top Ten State for jobs, personal income and a healthy economy.

The BLM plan was developed with a coalition of top industry experts, the Center for Automotive Research and McKinsey & Company. The plan positions Michigan for long-term growth in the auto sector as it continues to transition to an increasingly advanced technology-based sector.  It is one of six strategies BLM is developing as part of its Michigan Turnaround Plan.

“The automotive industry is fast becoming a mobility industry,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company and chair of BLM’s mobility initiative.  “While Michigan already is the automotive leader, we need to take actions now to ensure that we are the leader of the emerging mobility industry.”

Mobility refers to products associated with transporting people and goods, as well as sophisticated connectivity technology in vehicles to assist drivers with navigation, parking, road conditions and safety.  

Mobility also refers to multi-modal and intermodal solutions that integrate personal vehicles with public transit and reduce congestion and emissions. Michigan’s advantage in the mobility arena is rooted in the state’s leadership on R&D, production and supply companies that operate here. The automotive industry has the highest jobs multipliers of any sector of the Michigan economy.

Jay Baron, President & CEO of the Center for Automotive Research said, “Michigan iswell positioned to compete in powertrain and light-weighting technologies, but faces strong challenges from other competitive hubs in the emerging area of smart and connected transportation.  No place has a greater concentration of the auto industry, but Michigan must have a sharper focus and build greater public-private collaboration to ensure continued leadership as the industry evolves.”

"Michigan must build on its strengths,  while seeing and acting on emerging needs and shaping industry, technology, regulation and consumer trends,” said Hans-Werner Kaas, Senior Partner, Leader Automotive & Assembly Practice for McKinsey & Company and BLM board member.  

“Michigan has strong capital availability and an unsurpassed concentration of Original Equipment Manufacturers/suppliers and their respective know-how.  As the industry is transforming, Michigan must be aggressive in growing the talent pipeline, base of innovation and industry collaboration across the industry value chain.”

The BLM mobility strategy outlines six categories of action:

• Leadership: Support the creation of a state-level position/function to facilitate government’s role in growing the automotive and mobility industries. Other key leadership elements include an inter-agency partnership and the establishment of a private-sector mobility leadership group focused on implementing BLM’s recommendations
• Marketing & branding: Launch a marketing and branding campaign to support Michigan's strengths and aspirations in the automotive and mobility industries
• Strategic convening: Attract and create high-stature advanced mobility conferences and events in Michigan, anchored by economic development and B2B opportunities for attendees
• Talent development: Support the pipeline of new employees into Michigan’s mobility industry and design/offer education programs for universities and trade schools that deliver skill sets for future roles; support strong programs with adequate financial/tax incentives
• Collaboration network:  Develop a focused collaboration, research, and testing initiative, and work to attract mobility research centers; the state should explore competitive financial support models to attract critical future R&D investments in light of a global competitive context
• Capital attraction: Support the development of additional sources of financial capital, including venture capital, private investment, and innovative business arrangements to attract new funds

“This strategy provides an exciting, fact-based roadmap to grow one of our state’s most important industries,” said Doug Rothwell, BLM President & CEO.   “Currently, Michigan is home to 70 percent of all U.S. automotive R&D expenditures, and 13 percent of global R&D spending. Coupled with the state’s top ranking as home to engineers, and high concentration of smart and connected test beds and pilot deployments, Michigan is well-positioned to soar as a leader of automotive innovation.”

The full strategy to grow a Global Center of Mobility can be found at: http://www.businessleadersformichigan.com/research-and-reports/new-michigan-global-center-of-mobility.html.  BLM will report annually on progress being made to implement this and the other five strategies identified to make Michigan a Top Ten state.

--

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids changed the way the world sees their community and the way they see the world by creating a cluster of prosperity, turning the city into an art gallery, and welcoming zombies who wanted to roam the streets one night a year.

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold online, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes, and in brick-and-mortar stores like Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center, Grand Rapids.

For more of Rod Kackley's books, articles and essays, go to www.rodkackley.com or download his free app for iOS and Android devices.

U.S. Manufacturing Looks Strong for 2014

Economic growth in the United States will continue in 2014, say the nation's purchasing and supply management executives in their December 2013 Semiannual Economic Forecast. 

Expectations are for a continuation of the economic recovery that began in mid-2009, as indicated in the monthly ISM Report On Business ^®. The manufacturing sector is optimistic about growth in 2014, with revenues expected to increase in 16 manufacturing industries.

These projections are part of the forecast issued by the Business Survey Committee of the Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM). The forecast was released today by Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee; and by Anthony S. Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., CFPM, chair of the ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.  

Manufacturing Summary

Expectations for 2014 are positive as 69 percent of survey respondents expect revenues to be greater in 2014 than in 2013. The panel of purchasing and supply executives expects a 4.4 percent net increase in overall revenues for 2014, compared to a 4.6 percent increase reported for 2013 over 2012 revenues. The 16 manufacturing industries expecting revenue improvement over 2014 — listed in order — are: Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Furniture & Related Products; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Primary Metals; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Paper Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; and Fabricated Metal Products.

"Manufacturing purchasing and supply executives expect to see continued growth in 2014. They are optimistic about their overall business prospects for the first half of 2014, and are even more optimistic about the second half of 2014," said Holcomb. "Manufacturing experienced six consecutive months of growth from June through November 2013, while experiencing only one month of contraction during the entire first 11 months of 2013, which occurred in May 2013 when the PMI^™ registered 49 percent (as measured by and reported in the monthly Manufacturing ISM Report On Business ^®). Our forecast calls for a continuation of growth in 2014, building on the momentum from the second half of 2013. Respondents expect raw materials pricing pressures in 2014 to be low, similar to levels experienced in 2013, and expect their margins will improve."

In the manufacturing sector, respondents report operating at 80.3 percent of their normal capacity, up very slightly from 80.2 percent reported in April 2013. Purchasing and supply executives predict that capital expenditures will increase by 8 percent in 2014 over 2013, compared to a 12.3 percent increase reported for 2013 over 2012. Survey respondents also forecast that they will increase inventories by 0.9 percent to support their planned level of sales in 2014. 

Manufacturers have an expectation that employment in the sector will increase by 2.4 percent in 2014, while labor and benefit costs are expected to increase an average of 2.3 percent. Manufacturing purchasers are predicting growth in exports and imports in 2014. Respondents also expect the U.S. dollar to strengthen on average against the currencies of major trading partners.

The panel also predicts the prices they pay for raw materials will increase 1.2 percent during the first four months of 2014, and will increase an additional 0.4 percent during the balance of the year, with an overall increase of 1.6 percent for 2014. This compares to a reported 0.9 percent increase in raw materials prices for 2013 compared with 2012.

Survey respondents report that the most challenging problems facing their businesses as they plan for 2013 are: domestic sales growth (32 percent); international sales growth (18 percent); healthcare reform uncertainty (14.6 percent); ongoing government shutdown and debt ceiling concerns (13.5 percent); government regulations (9.6 percent); healthcare costs (8.4 percent); inflation (3.4 percent); and taxes (0.6 percent).

The panel also indicated that supply chain management practices will be improved in 2014 using the following strategies, listed in order: strategic sourcing/supply base rationalization; process and information systems improvements; supplier relationship management; inventory management and control; and improved cross-functional planning and scheduling.

Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance by Rod Kackley, a five-part ebook series beginning with The Great Collapse, is available wherever ebooks are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community by Rod Kackley, tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids, Michigan changed the way the world viewed their community by creating a cluster of prosperity, turning the city into an art gallery, and inviting zombies to roam their streets one night a year.

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold, including Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street, and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center, Grand Rapids. 

Last Chance Mile can also be ordered through your favorite bookseller, as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes. 

For autographed hardcover and softcover editions, please go to www.rodkackley.com

More of Rod Kackley's books, articles and essays are available through a free download of his app for Android and iOS devices.

General Motors Names First Female CEO

Mary T. Barra

DETROIT – General Motors today announced that Dan Akerson, who guided today’s GM to record profits and dramatic improvement in vehicle quality while closing the chapter on government ownership in the company, will step down as chairman and CEO on Jan. 15, 2014.

Mary Barra, 51, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, was elected by the Board of Directors to become the next CEO of the company.  Barra will also join the GM Board. 

Akerson, 65, pulled ahead his succession plan by several months after his wife was recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer.

The Board also named Theodore (Tim) Solso to succeed Akerson as Chairman.  Solso, 66, is the former chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc., and has been a member of the GM Board since June 2012.

“I will leave with great satisfaction in what we have accomplished, great optimism over what is ahead and great pride that we are restoring General Motors as America’s standard bearer in the global auto industry,”  Akerson said in a message to employees.

With 33 years of experience at GM, Barra has risen through a series of manufacturing, engineering, and senior staff positions.  She is a leader in the company’s ongoing turnaround, revitalizing GM’s product development process resulting in the launch of critically acclaimed new products while delivering record product quality ratings and higher customer satisfaction.

“With an amazing portfolio of cars and trucks and the strongest financial performance in our recent history, this is an exciting time at today’s GM,” said Barra. “I’m honored to lead the best team in the business and to keep our momentum at full speed.”

Dan Ammann, 41, executive vice president and chief financial officer, was named company president and will assume responsibility for managing the company’s regional operations around the world.  The global Chevrolet and Cadillac brand organizations and GM Financial will also report to Ammann.

Ammann joined GM in 2010 where his first assignment was to manage GM’s initial public offering. As CFO, he has led a transformation of GM’s finance operations into a world-class organization.  He also led the strategy to rebuild the company’s captive finance capability through the successful establishment and growth of GM Financial.

“We have a significant opportunity to further integrate and optimize our operations to deliver even better results,” said Ammann.  “While we have made good progress, we still have much work ahead of us to realize GM’s full potential.”

Ammann will retain CFO responsibilities at least through the release of the company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2013 results in early February 2014.  His replacement as CFO will be named later.

Mark Reuss, 50, executive vice president and president, North America, will replace Barra as executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain.  Under Reuss’ watch, GM’s North America region has produced consistent profits and improved margins during a product renaissance that includes the launch of award-winning cars and trucks such as the Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Corvette, Impala and Silverado pickup.

“The driver’s seat of designing and engineering the strongest product line up in GM’s history is the best seat to have,” said Reuss.  “We’re going to keep the pedal down on GM’s product resurgence and keep winning new customers.”

Alan Batey, currently senior vice president, Global Chevrolet and U.S. Sales and Marketing, will replace Reuss and is named Executive Vice President and President, North America.  Batey, 50, joined GM’s Vauxhall operation in 1979 and held several sales, service and marketing positions around the world.  In his current position, he has developed the Chevrolet brand’s Find New Roads advertising campaign and has overseen a sweeping upgrade of retail sales and service operations at hundreds of U.S. dealerships.

“North America is the foundation of the GM turnaround story and I’m honored to help continue what Mark started,” said Batey.  “We remain committed to delivering the world’s best retail experience to match the world’s best cars and trucks.”

The company also announced that Steve Girsky, 51, vice chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Global Product Planning, will move to a senior advisor role until leaving the company in April 2014.  He will remain on the GM Board of Directors.

Girsky led GM’s turnaround plan for Europe that has put that region’s operations back on a path to profitability.  He has also put GM’s OnStar unit at the forefront of in-vehicle connectivity and helped create GM Ventures to speed the commercialization of new technologies in GM vehicles.

“I share Dan’s pride for what the company has accomplished and his sense of optimism for a bright future,” said Girsky.  “This team is united in its commitment to building on the foundation that we have established.”

Under Akerson’s leadership, GM made swift progress as the company transformed from being majority owned by U.S. Treasury to being publicly traded and investment grade rated.

“My goals as CEO were to put the customer at the center of every decision we make, to position GM for long term success and to make GM a company that America can be proud of again,” Akerson said.  “We are well down that path, and I’m certain that our new team will keep us moving in that direction.”

Akerson was named GM Chairman and CEO on September 1, 2010.  He joined GM in 2009 as a member of its Board of Directors.  Since the company’s November 2010 Initial Public Offering, GM has recorded 15 consecutive quarters of profitability, has earned this year the best overall initial vehicle quality scores of any auto manufacturer, and has re-invested nearly $9 billion and created or retained more than 25,000 jobs at its U.S plants.

Restore the Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, a five-part ebook series is available wherever ebooks are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Vook.com

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the story of how the people of Grand Rapids changed the way the world sees their community and the way they see the world. 

Last Chance Mile is available wherever books are sold including Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street, and West Coast Coffee-Monroe Center, Grand Rapids.

Tool Shops Need To Hire, But Where Are The Workers?

Cimatron Limited (NASDAQ: CIMT) has announced the results of its 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey.

"One of the first studies of its kind, Cimatron's 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey highlights the performance levels and challenges faced by tool shops as they seek to ensure their success in an increasingly competitive marketplace," said Mr Bill Gibbs, Cimatron's President North America.

The survey reveals that while almost three-quarters of tool shops (73%) plan to hire additional employees in the coming year, over half of the respondents identified finding qualified workers as the top challenge they face.

"Cimatron continues to invest in simplifying our CAD/CAM software and in driving automation to promote tool shop standardization," said Mr Gibbs. "This assists shops in making the assimilation and training of new staff easier."

Additional key survey findings include:

• Healthy industry growth: Half the shops surveyed saw an increase in the number of quotes they issued in the past year, and close to half of survey respondents (46%) believe the price of tooling has increased in the past 5 years.
• Stronger competition: At the same time, 45% of the respondents say they face stronger competition compared to 5 years ago and 35% of the respondents win only 1-2 out of every 10 quotes they provide.
• Technological investment: Over half (59%) of the shops surveyed invested in new software in the past year. 40% of these shops intend to invest even more in the next 12 months.
• Improved delivery times: Many shops have been able to make strides in productivity and efficiency, with 44% of tool shops able to reduce their delivery times over the past two years.

"Given the significance of the results and the wide interest shown in the survey, we are in the process of duplicating the study in other regions worldwide," said Mr Gibbs."

The complete results of the 2013 North America Tool Shop Benchmark Survey can be downloaded athttp://toolingtimes.com/toolshop-survey.

Where Are The Workers?, the second in the five-part ebook series, Restore The Roar: Manufacturing Renaissance, examines what West Michigan manufacturers are doing to bring new people into their factory and engineering workforces.

Where Are the Workers? is available wherever ebooks are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Vook.com.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American Community tells the stories of the people who are working on Grand Rapids' Medical Mile, a cluster of prosperity that was created while the rest of Michigan was collapsing around this American community.

Last Chance Mile: The Reinvention of an American  Community is available wherever books are sold online, as well as on the shelves of Barnes & Noble-Woodland Mall, Schuler Books & Music-28th Street and West Coast Coffee on Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For more of Rod Kackley's books, articles and essays, go to www.rodkackley.com or download the free Rod Kackley app for Android or iOS devices.