Part of "the plan" is to make Pontiac a specialty division, offering racy convertibles and pocket rockets. Saturn, which is now just a Chevrolet, will be going somewhere else--maybe away. SAAB and Hummer are on the chopping block, and probably GMC badges will disapear from pickups. I can remember the time when we had Chieftain, Star Chief, and Bonneville; and Biscayne, Bel Aire, and Impala--all the same car with different skin, armrests, and chrome pieces--but Pontiac engines and Chevrolet engines. At one time there were about fifty different configuratons for parts such as power steering pumps, window crank mechanisms, carburators, brakes, alternators, etc.just to fit inside each division's own 'special' design.
Under the old "Alfred E. Slone" concept, yes, each division--and each individual plant--was configured as a 'profit center", so the vice presidents all competed against each other. It has been just recently(on the GM time clock, at least) that GM has converted to the concept of Activity Based Costing--which allocates all of a plant's resources and costs down to the part unit level--including the labor costs, benefits, medical, taxes, salaries, utilities, materials,everything to the penny, on a budgetary basis. This has sorted out some of the BS from the days of old--and that's why you see many plants shutting their doors. (It should be no secret that farmers have been using the ABC method, or some semblance of it for years to make go/no go decisions about specific crop or animal production)
Most of my experience with the GM elephant has been mostly from the tail end, rather than the trunk. It takes a pretty big cattle prod to keep it moving fast enough to outlast the current confidence crisis. Hopefully it will, as my retirement check is tied to GM' future well being. (And I have to move fast enough to keep out of the way of the elephant's you know what...)
But, because GM is, and has been, so huge, I will maintain that it simply mirrors the larger American experience, just by the statistics of the bell curve. Any sickness that you find in GM, I'm sure you will find it among us all. That is the larger issue in our current financial condition. I've seen great people in all the ranks of GM, from janitor to vice president--and scoundrels as well. Same as this board, or my home town, or yours........
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Third Brush Generators - by Chris Pratt. While I love straightening sheet metal, cleaning, and painting old tractors, I use every excuse to avoid working on the on the electrics. I find the whole process sheer mystery. I have picked up and attempted to read every auto and farm electrics book with no improvement in the situation. They all seem to start with a chapter entitled "Theory of Electricity". After a few paragraphs I usually close the book and go back to banging out dents. A good friend and I were recently discussing our tractor electrical systems when he stated "I figure it all comes back to applying Ohms Law". At this point
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Oliver 550 Diesel runs like a watch three point hitch pto engine gone threw about two hundred hours ago nice clean tractor
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
