The Changing U.S. Auto Industry: A Geographical Analysis

by Rubenstein,James M.

• ISBN13: 9780415055444
• ISBN10: 041505544X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-02-27
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

In recent years, automobile production in the United States has undergone changes on a scale unmatched since the pioneering era before World War I. Few plants have been opened in the interior of the country, while most of those located along the east and west coast have been closed. New technology, just-in-time delivery, and more flexible work rules have been introduced, sparked by changing consumer preferences, increasing sales for Japanese products, and declining market shares for American firms. In the fiercely competitive North American market, automakers look for every possible advantage, and they have found that location is a decisive element. The Changing US Auto Industryintegrates concepts drawn from geography, such as access to markets and shipment of parts, to understand some of the reasons for the recent changes. The changing role of labor in the production process is also crucial, and this includes the search by Japanese firms for a union-free environment, there-location of some production to Mexico, and the debate over the appropriate level of union-management cooperation. James Rubenstein captures the drama behind the changing distribution in the automobile industry: the Japanese arrival in small-town America and the competition among communities to attract new General Motors plants.

Table of Contents

The Changing Geography of Automobile Production

Development of the Geography of US Automotive Production

Automobile Production Concentrates in Michigan

Ford Revolutionizes the Geography of Production

General Motors Builds Branch Assembly Plants

Components Plants locate in the Southern Great Lakes Region

Reasons for Recent Locational Changes: Regional Scale

Market Fragmentation

Just-in-time Delivery

Reasons for Recent Locational Changes: Community Scale

Governmental Impact on Locational Decisions

Avoiding Militant Workers

Whipsawing Existing Plants

Conclusion

Bibliography

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