Toyota Aims To Close Plant
据丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Co.)高管称，公司正试图关闭与旧通用汽车公司(General Motors Corp.)在加利福尼亚州共同组建的一家汽车装配厂，此举有望提高丰田美国业务的效率。但高管们说，丰田汽车面临许多尚未解决的问题，其中包括关闭工厂可能产生的数亿美元成本。他们说，这些因素可能会使最终决定复杂化。Associated Press丰田与通用汽车的合资配件厂自成立以来大部分时间都处于亏损状态丰田汽车目前正在与旧通用汽车就如何撤出这家汽车装配厂New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.（简称Nummi）的相关事宜进行商谈。一名高管说，我们的直觉是需要结束生产。通用汽车走出破产保护之后，重组后的通用7月份重新启动，而旧通用则成为遗留问题。重组后的通用上个月决定放弃这个装配厂。自1984年丰田和通用成立了该厂以来，它大部分时间都在赔钱。该厂每年约生产40万辆汽车。有关装配厂的讨论正值丰田新任首席执行长丰田章男(Akio Toyoda)及其管理团队想办法解决公司产能过剩问题之际，这是拖累丰田财务业绩的主要问题。在北美地区，产能过剩问题尤其严重。本世纪初，丰田在北美增加了新的工厂，以便满足当时强劲的需求。本月早些时候，丰田章男说，通用撤出合资企业的决定给我们造成了一些非常棘手的问题。他当时说，丰田正在研究形势，并将很快做出决定。通过把该装配厂的产能转移到北美的其他工厂，丰田将能大幅提振制造厂的盈利能力。据总部位于美国的咨询公司CSM Worldwide的数据，目前丰田北美装配厂的开工率约为50%到60%。Nummi的大部分产品是丰田Tacoma和卡罗拉(Corolla)。为通用生产庞蒂亚克(Pontiac) Vibe的业务将于本月结束。丰田一名高管说，丰田可能会将卡罗拉的生产转移到加拿大的一个厂子，将Tacoma卡车的生产转到圣安东尼奥；一家日本的厂子，也许还有一家墨西哥的厂子，可能将至少暂时生产卡罗拉和Tacoma。加州国会议员和州长施瓦辛格(Arnold Schwarzenegge)请丰田拯救Nummi及其4,600个工作岗位，其中大部分工人都加入了全美汽车工人联合会(United Auto Workers)。丰田高管说，公司正努力在本月前就Nummi的未来做出决定，不过预计丰田和旧通用的代表本月晚些时候将召开第二次会议，以便敲定条款和条件。一位高管说，由于该厂给环境造成的破坏，这个位于旧金山郊区费利蒙的厂子在出售前将需要大量资金用于清理。高管们说，Nummi自身还有债务。关闭厂子还可能使人对丰田的稳定就业承诺提出疑问。丰田章男及其新任高管曾承诺，在此次全球经济低迷中不会关闭任何工厂。丰田高管辩称，直到最后一刻他们都在试图说服通用汽车维持这家合资企业，甚至曾提出在Nummi生产丰田热销的油电混合动力车普锐斯(Prius)，还有一款通用可以以自己的品牌销售的车。记者目前无法联系到通用汽车发表置评。Norihiko Shirouzu相关阅读丰田计划于2010年初在华销售新款普锐斯 2009-08-12丰田汽车计划生产平价跑车 2009-08-06丰田业绩显示汽车业前景有望好转 2009-08-05丰田汽车第一财季转为亏损 2009-08-04丰田汽车蝉联全球汽车销量冠军 2009-07-29 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年08月19日09:56', 'GM'));General Motors Co.(delisted 6/2/09)总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所document.write (truthmeter('2009年08月19日09:56', 'TM'));Toyota Motor Co.(ADS)总部地点：日本上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：TMdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年08月19日09:56', 'GM.XX'));General Motors Co.总部地点：美国document.write (truthmeter('2009年08月19日09:56', 'MTLQQ'));Motors Liquidation Co.总部地点：美国上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：MTLQQdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年08月19日09:56', '7203.TO'));丰田汽车公司英文名称：Toyota Motor Co.总部地点：日本上市地点：东京证交所股票代码：7203
Toyota Motor Corp. is seeking to close a California assembly plant it owns jointly with the former General Motors Corp., according to Toyota executives, in a move that could bring greater efficiency to its U.S. operations.But the Japanese auto maker faces a number of unresolved issues, the executives said, including hundreds of millions of dollars in potential costs from a closure. Those factors could complicate any final decision, they said.Toyota is now in negotiations with the former General Motors Corp. -- the 'Old GM' left behind in bankruptcy court after the reorganized U.S. auto maker was relaunched in July -- to figure out how it could walk away from the plant, called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. or Nummi. 'Our gut feeling is we need to end production' at the plant, said one of the executives.The reorganized GM last month decided to abandon Nummi, which has mostly been a money-losing operation since Toyota and GM established the partnership in 1984. It produces about 400,000 vehicles a year.Discussions over the plant come as Toyota's new chief executive, Akio Toyoda, and his management team look for ways to solve the company's excess capacity problem -- a primary drag on Toyota's financial performance. The problem is particularly acute in North America, where the company added new plants earlier in the decade to meet then-strong demand.Earlier this month, Mr. Toyoda said 'GM's decision to withdraw from the joint venture has created some extremely difficult issues for us to resolve.' He said at the time that Toyota was studying the situation and would make a decision soon. By shifting Nummi's capacity to other plants in North America, Toyota would be able to greatly help shore up the profitability of its manufacturing plants. Currently Toyota's North American assembly plants are operating at about 50% to 60% of their capacity, according to U.S.-based consulting firm CSM Worldwide.Production at Nummi consists mostly of Toyota's Tacoma and Corolla. Production of the Pontiac Vibe, which Nummi produces for GM, is due to end this month.A Toyota executive said Toyota could shift production of the Corolla car to a plant in Canada and the Tacoma pickup truck to San Antonio, while a Japan plant and possibly a plant in Mexico could produce at least temporarily the Corolla and the Tacoma.California lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have appealed to Toyota to save Nummi and its 4,600 jobs, a majority of which are represented by the United Auto Workers union.The Toyota executives said the company is trying to make a decision on Nummi's future by the end of this month, but representatives from Toyota and the old GM are expected to meet later this month for only the second time in an effort to nail down terms and conditions.Because of environmental damage caused by the plant, the site in the San Francisco suburb of Fremont where GM and Toyota have operated Nummi would require substantial funds to clean up before it could be offered for sale, an executive said. Nummi also has debts on its own, said executives.A closure could also raise questions over Toyota's commitment to stable employment. Mr. Toyoda and his new top managers have pledged not to close any plants amid the global economic downturn.The Toyota executives argue they tried to persuade GM to uphold the joint venture down to the last minute, offering at one point the Prius, a popular gasoline-electric hybrid car, as well as a version that GM could sell under one of its own brands at Nummi. GM couldn't immediately be reached for comment.Norihiko Shirouzu
Toyota Motor Corp. is seeking to close a California assembly plant it owns jointly with the former General Motors Corp., according to Toyota executives, in a move that could bring greater efficiency to its U.S. operations.But the Japanese auto maker faces a number of unresolved issues, the executives said, including hundreds of millions of dollars in potential costs from a closure. Those factors could complicate any final decision, they said.Toyota is now in negotiations with the former General Motors Corp. -- the 'Old GM' left behind in bankruptcy court after the reorganized U.S. auto maker was relaunched in July -- to figure out how it could walk away from the plant, called New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. or Nummi. 'Our gut feeling is we need to end production' at the plant, said one of the executives.The reorganized GM last month decided to abandon Nummi, which has mostly been a money-losing operation since Toyota and GM established the partnership in 1984. It produces about 400,000 vehicles a year.Discussions over the plant come as Toyota's new chief executive, Akio Toyoda, and his management team look for ways to solve the company's excess capacity problem -- a primary drag on Toyota's financial performance. The problem is particularly acute in North America, where the company added new plants earlier in the decade to meet then-strong demand.Earlier this month, Mr. Toyoda said 'GM's decision to withdraw from the joint venture has created some extremely difficult issues for us to resolve.' He said at the time that Toyota was studying the situation and would make a decision soon. By shifting Nummi's capacity to other plants in North America, Toyota would be able to greatly help shore up the profitability of its manufacturing plants. Currently Toyota's North American assembly plants are operating at about 50% to 60% of their capacity, according to U.S.-based consulting firm CSM Worldwide.Production at Nummi consists mostly of Toyota's Tacoma and Corolla. Production of the Pontiac Vibe, which Nummi produces for GM, is due to end this month.A Toyota executive said Toyota could shift production of the Corolla car to a plant in Canada and the Tacoma pickup truck to San Antonio, while a Japan plant and possibly a plant in Mexico could produce at least temporarily the Corolla and the Tacoma.California lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have appealed to Toyota to save Nummi and its 4,600 jobs, a majority of which are represented by the United Auto Workers union.The Toyota executives said the company is trying to make a decision on Nummi's future by the end of this month, but representatives from Toyota and the old GM are expected to meet later this month for only the second time in an effort to nail down terms and conditions.Because of environmental damage caused by the plant, the site in the San Francisco suburb of Fremont where GM and Toyota have operated Nummi would require substantial funds to clean up before it could be offered for sale, an executive said. Nummi also has debts on its own, said executives.A closure could also raise questions over Toyota's commitment to stable employment. Mr. Toyoda and his new top managers have pledged not to close any plants amid the global economic downturn.The Toyota executives argue they tried to persuade GM to uphold the joint venture down to the last minute, offering at one point the Prius, a popular gasoline-electric hybrid car, as well as a version that GM could sell under one of its own brands at Nummi. GM couldn't immediately be reached for comment.Norihiko Shirouzu