The automotive industry’s future appears bright after several years of darkness. While 2011 sales volumes remain at depressed levels, the industry has adapted by dramatically lowering its breakeven volume. Auto manufacturers have restructured their debt, realigned their supply chains and retooled their relationships with labor. This massive restructuring has set the stage for a period of potential profitability, but formidable challenges remain. As the industry takes aim at 2012 and beyond, uncertainties such as the pace of economic growth, volatile energy and material prices, global market vagaries, government policies, and technological change (e.g. advanced powertrains, advanced telematic systems, and advanced materials) are abundant. The challenge is will stakeholders be able to mitigate the complexity associated with so much uncertainty. It is in this context automotive industry leaders will address their expectations for a future that seems to be arriving—and changing—at an ever-increasing speed.
The Automotive sessions will include representatives from vehicle manufacturers and suppliers highlighting the strategies necessary to thrive in the new automotive world. The Wednesday morning session will also include a special supplier strategy panel.
Bob King, President, UAW Presentation Not Available
Ray Tanguay, Senior Managing Officer, Toyota Motor Corporation, Senior Vice President, Toyota Motor North America and Chairman, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. PresentationAudio
Rebuilding the New North American Supplier Sector
The North American supplier sector virtually hibernated to survive the terrible sales years of 2008 and 2009. Capacity and staffing were severely reduced, and a number of firms endured painful financial restructurings. The results have produced the leanest automotive supplier sector perhaps in history with an ability to generate earnings at very low levels of sales. Production and sales, however, are expected to rise in 2011 and the years following. The strains of such growth are beginning to appear in the form of inadequate capacity, short-falls in technical staff and commodity inflation. The pace of technological change has also produced a raft of non-automotive technology suppliers that are used to different business models and manufacturer supplier relations than those traditional to the auto industry. These challenges may produce solutions that dramatically change the structure of the supplier industry in North America. This panel will contain a representative group of traditional auto supplier CEOs and new non-automotive technology executives will discuss the ramp-up to a new North American supplier sector.
Chair:
Sean McAlinden, Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Research and Chief Economist, Center for Automotive Research
The family friendly Partners Program is available for all attendee families. In addition, the Resort and surrounding Traverse City area have numerous opportunities for family fun. Contact the Traverse City Convention Bureau at www.visittraversecity.com or (800) 872-8377.
The seminars are designed to foster a casual atmosphere for the informal exchange of ideas. Business casual is appropriate. Others wear more casual polo shirts and slacks.
These are informal events. Attire will vary from sport coats to polo shirts and slacks (for men) and from summer dresses and skirts to pants and shirts (for women).
The first thing to do would be to find a colleague interested in replacing you. If your colleagues are already registered or unable to attend, please inform us in writing that you must cancel. To be eligible for a full refund of fees, notification of cancellation must be received in our office in writing by May 14, 2011. After this date, to be eligible for a refund of fees less the handling charge of $150.00 we must receive your request in writing before July 19, 2011. We regret that we cannot accept requests for refunds after that date.
The registration desk is located in the Governors Prefunction area. We recommend that you pick up your name badge and conference materials at early registration on Sunday, from 5-7 p.m. or on Tuesday from 3:30-7 p.m. The registration desk is also open during the conference sessions. A name badge is required to gain admittance to the sessions. Please note: badges will be distributed the day before or morning of the first day of your registration so you may attend the social hours included in your registration.
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