Hyundai opens new Alabama plant, with quality-over-quantity attitude

[Analog]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- John Kalson left his Ford job in Detroit to work as production director for the new Hyundai plant in Montgomery, as did several of his current production line supervisors who say they were eager for a change from the Big Three culture.

"Is Ford building a new plant? No. Is GM? No. Is Daimler? No," Kalson said while walking through the gleaming new Hyundai Corp. production line on display at Friday's grand opening, revealing the South Korean automaker's first U.S. plant.

Experts say the new plant is an example of how the Asian brands, and their growing market share in the U.S., are putting pressure on Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group.

Asian brands have capitalized on new technology, improved quality and a willing labor force in the South, without getting bogged down in union issues that have saddled the domestic makers around the Great Lakes in the past, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

"The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work. That used to be one of the traits Detroit had in the worldwide climate," Spinella said.

"People used to talk about the Midwest ethics of working long and working hard, somehow that disappeared," he said. "In the South it still exists." http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/21/autos-188454.htm

 

[MasterAndCommander]

Buy American - Buy a Hyundai .

Good for 'bama...jobs!

 

[Fritzo]

You know, it's true. I'm seeing this in other businesses as well. We have a Chinese food place down the street that I frequent, and the family that owns it works every freakin' day for 10-16 hours, they keep the place extremely clean, they bend over backwards to help (they even go around giving free chopstick lessons, which I think is cool), and they just dedicate themselves to hard work and fulfilling their dream. I'm finding that foreigners coming to this country are turning out to be more of what it means to be American than most of us could ever hope to be.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Asian brands have capitalized on new technology, improved quality and a willing labor force in the South, without getting bogged down in union issues that have saddled the domestic makers around the Great Lakes in the past, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

"The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work. That used to be one of the traits Detroit had in the worldwide climate," Spinella said.

"People used to talk about the Midwest ethics of working long and working hard, somehow that disappeared," he said. "In the South it still exists."

The unions don't exist in the south?

 

[Sheepathon]

New Sonata = wow

 

[MasterAndCommander]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Asian brands have capitalized on new technology, improved quality and a willing labor force in the South, without getting bogged down in union issues that have saddled the domestic makers around the Great Lakes in the past, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

"The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work. That used to be one of the traits Detroit had in the worldwide climate," Spinella said.

"People used to talk about the Midwest ethics of working long and working hard, somehow that disappeared," he said. "In the South it still exists."

The unions don't exist in the south?

There are, but not as prevalent as elsewhere. I live in VA, which is a Right to Work State

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
You know, it's true. I'm seeing this in other businesses as well. We have a Chinese food place down the street that I frequent, and the family that owns it works every freakin' day for 10-16 hours, they keep the place extremely clean, they bend over backwards to help (they even go around giving free chopstick lessons, which I think is cool), and they just dedicate themselves to hard work and fulfilling their dream. I'm finding that foreigners coming to this country are turning out to be more of what it means to be American than most of us could ever hope to be.

the same is tru here in the uk too i feel. especially chinese, taiwanese people, work very hard at what they do, and very hard at keeping customers happy

 

[DainBramaged]

More power to them.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon
New Sonata = wow

I can't drive a car with a name like that...sounds too much like "Snot-a"

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Asian brands have capitalized on new technology, improved quality and a willing labor force in the South, without getting bogged down in union issues that have saddled the domestic makers around the Great Lakes in the past, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

"The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work. That used to be one of the traits Detroit had in the worldwide climate," Spinella said.

"People used to talk about the Midwest ethics of working long and working hard, somehow that disappeared," he said. "In the South it still exists."

The unions don't exist in the south?

There are, but not as prevalent as elsewhere. I live in VA, which is a Right to Work State

Cool.

So what's preventing Detroit's automakers from moving to the South and giving the finger to the unions?

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Asian brands have capitalized on new technology, improved quality and a willing labor force in the South, without getting bogged down in union issues that have saddled the domestic makers around the Great Lakes in the past, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

"The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work. That used to be one of the traits Detroit had in the worldwide climate," Spinella said.

"People used to talk about the Midwest ethics of working long and working hard, somehow that disappeared," he said. "In the South it still exists."

The unions don't exist in the south?

There are, but not as prevalent as elsewhere. I live in VA, which is a Right to Work State

Cool.

So what's preventing Detroit's automakers from moving to the South and giving the finger to the unions?

It's probably in their contracts with the unions....they have to ASK the union if they can close plants, etc...

 

[StageLeft]

Also the weather here is about 15X better than the crap in detroit.

 

[aswedc]

I wonder if there is actually any cost advantage to producing cars in the US, or if this is just a preventive measure to avoid consumer backlash against Korea.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: aswedc
I wonder if there is actually any cost advantage to producing cars in the US, or if this is just a preventive measure to avoid consumer backlash against Korea.

Nobody seemed to care much when Japan was making all its cars there!

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: aswedc
I wonder if there is actually any cost advantage to producing cars in the US, or if this is just a preventive measure to avoid consumer backlash against Korea.

Nobody seemed to care much when Japan was making all its cars there!

Link

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Topic Summary: "The Southeast has become a new Detroit primarily because workers work...

What is the pay scale?

Do they have any health benefits?