The European auto makers are doing it for several business reasons, and they've been doing it for years (BMW has a plant in South Carolina which was dedicated to building the Z series until this month).
1. The dollar is weak and projected to stay weak against the Euro.
2. European companies are heavily unionized - even more so than here in the U.S.
3. European workers are hired with 4 - 5 weeks of vacation in the bank at hire date AND they have holidays up the kazoo. Therefore, there are more hours worked in the USA than in a European plant.
4. Industrial land (zoned for manufacturing) is cheaper here than in Europe, and many states (especially in the South) throw incentives at anyone for anything as long as the business ends up in their neighborhood.
5. Transportation costs for the end product and support (parts) is less in the US, since the cars don't have to be shipped over to us.
6. There are no import taxes on cars built in the USA.
I hope you washed your hands after you read that mag you found in the bathroom!!!
