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General Motors By: Dominique Melendez
About! • General Motors is an American, multinational corporation with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM designs, manufactures, markets and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts and sells financial services. They also produce vehicles in 37 different countries under 11 different brands.
History! • General Motors was founded by William “Billy” Durant on September 16, 1908 in Flint, Michigan. • Before Durant became involved in the automobile industry, he was a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles.
Just the beginning! • Between the years 1910-1929, the demand for cars grew extremely high and GM set the standard in many ways, one including opening over a dozen new plants outside of the United States. • At this point in time, “GM’s vehicles went beyond transportation, becoming statements and aspirations in their own right.”
A little later… • “In 1971, GM pioneered the use of engines that could run on low-lead or unleaded gasoline. • Two years after that, General Motors was the first to offer an air bag in a production car. • In 1974, GM introduced the most important step in reducing emissions with the catalytic converter. This technology, shared by General Motors, is still used by the entire auto industry.” • As good as this sounds…
competition • “Germany and Japan, now recovered from the devastation of World War II, began exporting cars to the U.S. in larger numbers, and fuel price shocks sparked consumer interest in these new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. GM rushed to develop smaller vehicles as well, but the company had been too large and too successful for too long to change direction easily, and GM’s undisputed dominance of the U.S. market began to erode.”
More competitive ! • Although they were always active internationally, GM felt more pressure from other competitors to improve efficiency in the 1980s. The pressure led to its, “largest single production expansion outside of North America with the opening of the new complex in Zaragoza, Spain. With joint ventures in China and India andthe additions of Saab and HUMMER to the GM family, the company expanded both the REACHand VARIETYof vehicles sold worldwide”.
The new Millennium • In emerging markets like China and Brazil, GM had a very strong presence which helped them accomplish their goal of becoming more competitive and becoming a single global company.
Experience with china! • GM has more than 58,000 employees in China. • “GM, along with its joint ventures, offers the broadest lineup of vehicles and brands among automakers in China” • “In 2013, domestic sales of vehicles by GM and its joint ventures jumped 11.4 percent on an annual basis to 3,160,377 units.” • More than 70 percent of car sales for GM come from outside of the U.S. with the top market being China. (followed by the U.S., Brazil, The United Kingdom, and Germany).
Issues with United states and China (GM) • "Confirming a meeting in China is almost never an easy thing. Signing a contract in China is never, ever, ever easy. And never, ever certain. It is a source of tremendous angst when headquarters demands certainty where none exists. In spite of all of the genuine goodwill and the fact that all the terms had been agreed on, China still had the final say about when the signing would take place. And China wasn't talking.” (Michael Dunne)
Who’s michaeldunne? • http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/20/us-autoshow-china-gm-idUSBREA3J08N20140420 • He ran the China business for J.D. Power and Associates in Shanghai before forming Dunne & Co., an investment advisory company specializing in auto markets, in Hong Kong. Dunne, the son of renowned auto spy photographer Jim Dunne, grew up in Detroit and currently lives outside Jakarta, Indonesia.
Issues with United states and China (GM) • "Confirming a meeting in China is almost never an easy thing. Signing a contract in China is never, ever, ever easy. And never, ever certain. It is a source of tremendous angst when headquarters demands certainty where none exists. In spite of all of the genuine goodwill and the fact that all the terms had been agreed on, China still had the final say about when the signing would take place. And China wasn't talking.” (Michael Dunn)
Hopes for the future • “General Motors Corp (GM) (GM.N) plans to invest $12 billion in China from 2014 to 2017 and build more plants next year as it competes with aggressive rivals in the world's largest auto market. (VW being one) • GM expects its China sales to expand 8-10 percent this year, in line with the overall growth of the Chinese market. • In the end, General Motors’ dealings with China, up to now, have brought them higher sales, more growth, and success. In regard to their future plans, it seems as if GM has a very positive view of their future and their success to come. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.