Mom, GM and Apple Pie

What could be more American than General Motors?

Many people think of GM as an "American Company" with American Employees, they think Bailing Out GM, as well as the other Auto Makers, might be a great way to Save American Jobs.
Well, today GM has evolved into a Multinational Corporation, having no allegiance to any one or any thing but the Almighty Dollar.

GM has over the past few weeks been asking the U.S. Taxpayers for a 12 Billion Dollar Bail Out, they say it Might them keep floating until 2010...really only about a Year away from now.

According to Reuters April 2008, General Motors Corp Chief Executive Rick Wagoner's salary and other compensation rose 64 percent in 2007 (from $9.57 million in 2006) to about $15.7 million.
GM paid Wagoner a salary of $1.6 million in 2007, along with $1.8 million in non-equity incentive compensation and nearly $700,000 for other compensation that includes insurance benefits, security, aircraft expenses and other factors. All this while GM reported a record $39 billion net loss in 2007.

In America it has been reported that a GM assembly line worker (United Autoworkers Union) receives $77.00 Per Hour in Pay and Benefits, a Mexican doing that same job in Mexico gets $3.50 per hour with no benefits.
Please remember that outside the U.S., GM doesn't conform to Environmental or Safety standards, or pay Healthcare, Retirement or Pension Benefits. These are some of the Primary Reasons GM and others Outsource their production to places like Mexico.
This Outsourcing along with Robotics Automation has always been sold to Americans as "a way to keep the price of our Cars low", now who could argue with that?
In 1970, a Cadillac Eldorado Coupe (Made in USA) cost $6,903, today a 2008 Cadillac Escalade
(Made in Mexico) has an MSRP of $54,890. Go figure!?!
Perhaps before the U.S. Taxpayer is asked to Bail Out General Motors, or any other Car Company, maybe we should take a look at just Who and What we are Bailing Out!
One more thing...Is GM asking any of the other Nations it has factories in, for Bail Out Money too?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.

Global Operations:

Mexico:
General Motors de Mexico leads automotive companies in Mexico in sales. It began operations in this country in 1935 and today has efficient and modern manufacturing plants in Toluca, State of Mexico; Silao, Guanajuato; Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila; and in Mexico City. GM's investment is substantial as Mexico's single largest private employer. GM Mexico assembles many models for the domestic sales and worldwide export. It markets the Chevrolet, Pontiac, Cadillac and Saab brands, and Fiat.

Canada:
General Motors of Canada Limited is the largest automaker in the country, directly employing 19,000 employees. Its six assembly and components facilities provide an annual production capacity of more than 1 million vehicles. We also have 732 vehicle dealerships and retail outlets, the most in Canada from coast to coast. GM Canada is Canada's largest exporter and manufactures more vehicles in Canada than any other automaker.

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      GM Canada vehicle sales in 2007 were 403,712, representing 24% of Canadian vehicle sales
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      General Motors of Canada Produced 785,656 vehicles in 2007. CAMI produced 178,141 vehicles

Europe:
In Europe, GM sells its vehicles in more than 40 markets. It operates 10 vehicle-production and assembly facilities in seven countries and employs around 55,500 people. Many additional directly related jobs are provided by some 8,902 independent sales and service outlets.

In 2007, GM - for the second consecutive year - set an all-time sales record of nearly 2.2 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Europe, achieving a market share of 9.5 percent.

Latin America, Africa & Middle East:
General Motors Latin America, Africa & Middle East region (GM LAAM) is one of GM’s four regional business units, made up of its Latin American Operations (LAO) subdivision in South America, its Africa (AO) and Middle East Operations (MO) subdivision.
GM LAAM employs approximately 33,000 people in its core automotive business and majority owned joint ventures. In South America, GM enjoys a longstanding leadership position in the key automotive markets of GM LAAM vehicle sales in 2006 totaled 1,035,277 units, representing an increase of 17.4 percent from the previous year and an overall market share of 17.7 percent. The total vehicle market in South America strengthened in 2006, with total industry sales at 3,271,812 up 481,540 units from 2005. GM’s South American operations achieved total sales of 730,897 representing an increase of 14.6 percent from 2005 and a market share of 22.3 percent.
GM operations in South America are of four types:

    * A large manufacturing presence in Mercosul countries (Argentina, Brazil, and Chile), anchored by the largest subsidiary in Brazil,
    * The assembly of imported completely knocked-down vehicles in the Andean region (Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela),
    * Active intra-regional trade under the Andean Pact,
    * Sales, marketing, and aftersales operations in all countries

China:
The General Motors-China relationship dates back more than eight decades. GM’s mission in China is to leverage the company’s extensive global resources to provide transportation products and services that deliver the best combination of technology and customer care innovation.

GM operates seven joint ventures and two wholly owned foreign enterprises and has more than 20,000 employees in China. GM, along with its joint ventures, offers the broadest lineup of vehicles and brands among foreign automakers in China. Products are sold under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Opel, Saab and Wuling nameplates. In 2006, GM’ s sales rose 31.8 percent on an annual basis to a record 876,747 units. GM ended 2006 as the sales leader among global automakers in China. In addition, Shanghai GM was the sales leader in passenger cars (413,367 units) and SAIC-GM-Wuling was the sales leader in the mini-vehicle segment (460,155 units).

Joint Ventures and Other Operations in China:
Shanghai General Motors Co. Ltd. (Shanghai GM) is a 50-50 joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), a leading passenger car manufacturer in China. Shanghai GM was formed in June 1997. It is fully supported by a network of sales, aftersales and parts centers. Shanghai GM has a current annual production capacity of 320,000 vehicles operating on two shifts.

Australia/New Zealand:
Australia’s first large scale automotive manufacturing facility was formed in 1931 when General Motors Australia merged with Holden’s Motor Body Builders to form General Motors Holden’s Limited (now Holden Ltd). The Holden name, however, is older than the motorcar itself and has been associated with transportation in Australia since the gold boom days of the early 1850s. That’s when it first appeared above J.A. Holden’s leather and saddlery business in Adelaide, South Australia.

India:
General Motors India, incorporated in 1994 as a 50:50 joint venture company with the CK Birla Group of Companies, became a fully owned subsidiary of GM in 1999 when GMOC bought the remaining shares. The company was restructured in 1999 and was converted from a Public Limited company to a Private Limited company.

General Motors India is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, the largest automaker in the world. It offers products under the Chevrolet brand in the country. Introduced in India in 2003, under the banner “For a special journey called life”, Chevrolet has emerged as one of the fastest growing brand names in India.

Indonesia:
General Motors Indonesia assembles and markets the Chevrolet Blazer in Indonesia. It also imports build up Chevrolet vehicles from Thailand (Optra and Zafira) and Korea (Aveo and Spark).

The company was established in 1993 as a joint venture between General Motors and PT Garmak Motor, and became a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors in 1997.

Japan:
GM Asia Pacific (Japan) and GM Japan are a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary that supports activities related to the sale and marketing of GM vehicles in Japan.

Korea:
As of the year of 2008, GM owns 50.9 percent, Suzuki Motor Corporation 11.2 percent and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation Group (SAIC) 9.9 percent of GM Daewoo. The Daewoo Motor Creditors Committee owns the remaining 28 percent.

GM Daewoo operates manufacturing facilities in the cities of Gunsan, Changwon and Incheon, and a power train plant for transmission in Boryung, Korea. GM Daewoo Vietnam Auto & Technology (VIDAMCO) in Hanoi, Vietnam, assembles selected GM Daewoo products for the Vietnam market. In addition, GM Daewoo products are assembled at GM facilities in China, India and Thailand etc.

Malaysia:
GM Malaysia Markets and services the Opel Astra, Vectra, Zafira, Omega and Frontera 4X4 in single unit products / completely built-up units through seven dealer outlets throughout the country.

The Malaysian government strictly limits imports in order to develop the local automotive manufacturing industry. The present import allocation to the Europel distributor is 500 vehicles a year.

Philippines:
In July 1996, General Motors Automobiles Philippines (GMPh) was established as a 100% subsidiary of GM Corporation to become the sole distributor of GM vehicles in the country under a one-stop shopping concept, under which Chevrolet, Opel, Subaru and Suzuki brands were sold.

Singapore:
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation (GM ODC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation.

Located in Benoi Sector, Singapore, GM ODC began its operations in 1972. It is engaged in the marketing and distribution of GM vehicles, parts and accessories. It also covered ACDelco Order Administrative Center in Asia Pacific region.

Thailand:
Registered in 1993, GM Thailand is one of the linchpins of General Motors Corporation’s expansion strategy in the Asia Pacific Region.

In 1996, construction of the Thailand assembly center in the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong. Its state-of-the-art technology makes it the most modern car manufacturing plant in Thailand and one of the most advanced in the world with 130,000 annual outputs. The plant employs over 2,900 people.

Chevrolet brand has been launching in Thailand with the first GM Thailand product, the Zafira multi purposed vehicle in the year 2000.   


http://www.gm.com/corporate/about/global_operations/asia_pacific/index.jsp