Not sure where your info comes from Larry, but this is NOT the relationship that I ever experienced in dealing with Toyota, Honda or Subaru. Yes, they outsource a majority of parts, BUT not to the lowest cost (i.e. Mexico or China) supplier, but also take quality into consideration. During my time in my last job, the ONLY pressure we received to send our manufacturing to Mexico came from FORD and GM, NEVER from Toyota or Honda. In fact, when we announced to our suppliers that we were sending our manufacturing to Mexico, Toyota requested that we keep our manufacturing (with regard to their specific product) here in the US. And yes, they do push Lean, but not the way the GM or FORD does. They don't simply just cut orders to their suppliers and drive them out of business, but will actually send their people into a suppliers plant to work together with them to get their processes and suppliers lean as well. It's not simply a matter of shut off supplies when you don't need parts, but rather developing your supply structure to run much more efficiently and to only build the parts you need when you need them. It's called Just-in-time. The only people it ends up hurting are the people in your warehouse department, since there is little or no inventory of incoming or outgoing parts. I've experienced it firsthand, and "cumbaya" as it sounds, it works, WHEN and IF it is implemented right. I have also seen the Ford version, in which orders are built up and built up, and then slashed without warning for weeks at a time, causing us to use temporaries, or to lay off and then try and rehire, permanent employees. And as far the "low wages", I can give you the name and address of a former co-worker of mine who came to us from Honda, feel free to ask him about his time in the "Honda Sweatshop" in Ohio! He actually spoke VERY highly of his time at Honda, as did numerous people I dealt with at Mistubishi (once Chrysler was gone) in Normal, IL.
And I did allude to the fact that Japanese companies are struggling with or in some cases abandoning the lifetime employment model, but loyalty to employees and vice versa is still leaps and bounds above the situation here.
¿Usted habla Larry español?
