Eight Southern states, organized by a MI research group, try to relocate R&D in South

[Not In MI]

$5 say Poobert has a "Co-exist" sticker on the back of his/her hybrid car

[aj3647]

When Toyota built a plant in Alabama, lured by the low taxes and millions in breaks and subsidies, they quickly found that the cost of training employees was extremely high. The local workforce in Alabama was low-skill and had little education. So many of them were functionally-illiterate that Toyota had to train them how to use complex machinery using pictorials.

When it came time to decide where to build their new RAV-4 plant, Alabama enticed them with tens of millions in tax breaks and credits. Toyota turned them down, and instead decided to build their new plant in Woodstock, Ontario. They found the Canadian workers to be highly-educated and highly-skilled, 70% of them had at least some college education. They required very little training when compared to their Alabama counterparts.

The old adage of "you get what you pay for" rings true. Taxes and labor costs were almost certainly far higher in Canada than in Alabama, but in exchange Toyota got workers that were far far far superior and cost way less to train.

[Wesley Mouch]

When Toyota built a plant in Alabama, lured by the low taxes and millions in breaks and subsidies, they quickly found that the cost of training employees was extremely high. The local workforce in Alabama was low-skill and had little education. So many of them were functionally-illiterate that Toyota had to train them how to use complex machinery using pictorials.

When it came time to decide where to build their new RAV-4 plant, Alabama enticed them with tens of millions in tax breaks and credits. Toyota turned them down, and instead decided to build their new plant in Woodstock, Ontario. They found the Canadian workers to be highly-educated and highly-skilled, 70% of them had at least some college education. They required very little training when compared to their Alabama counterparts.

The old adage of "you get what you pay for" rings true. Taxes and labor costs were almost certainly far higher in Canada than in Alabama, but in exchange Toyota got workers that were far far far superior and cost way less to train.

So then why did VW locate in TN? Examples are easy to come by. Just find one that fits your narrative, and your all set.

Bottom line here is that we do live in a competitive world, and there will be those gunning for our jobs every year. All we can do is be the best, most adaptable, progressive city we can be!

[aj3647]

So then why did VW locate in TN? Examples are easy to come by. Just find one that fits your narrative, and your all set.

Bottom line here is that we do live in a competitive world, and there will be those gunning for our jobs every year. All we can do is be the best, most adaptable, progressive city we can be!

Tennessee is not Deep South, it is not Alabama or Mississippi. Case in point, Tennessee's high school graduation rate is 14% higher than Alabama's. Tennessee is not a bad place to set up shop, neither is Georgia. It helps greatly that both of those states are anchored by numerous prestigious colleges. But Alabama and Mississippi are like third world countries in many respects.

BTW, I'm not bragging about Michigan by any means. The Canadian workforce, by comparison, is also far far more educated than what you would find here in Michigan as well.

[PeachLaser]

Many years ago, I was born in Highland Park not too far from Ford's old Model-T factory. At the time, my family lived around the corner in New Center from GM HQ's, the Fisher Building and Ford Hospital.

Not sure if it was because I had autos in my blood or what, but I became a big fan of prototype endurance sports car racing decades after my family had migrated south along the Dixie Highway.

As a result, I have a great love and hope for Detroit's rebound and success as well as having an in-depth knowledge of the international automotive scene. We lived on Lincoln St. back in the late '40's and early 50's while I know what Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish just did today. [[They've been to Detroit before).

Detroit has tremendous talent but, IMHO, the problem has been that Detroit has an 'insular perspective'. When the 'knowledgeable' buying public wanted efficient, good-handling, well-made and stylish vehicles, Detroit said, "This is what you want and need. We know." But, instead, the buying public bought elsewhere.

Even though Detroit's thinking was wrong, America bailed out Detroit because we have hope and belief that you can figure out how to design and build advanced automobiles for the 21st century.

[Patrick]

Many years ago, I was born in Highland Park not too far from Ford's old Model-T factory. At the time, my family lived around the corner in New Center from GM HQ's, the Fisher Building and Ford Hospital.

Not sure if it was because I had autos in my blood or what, but I became a big fan of prototype endurance sports car racing decades after my family had migrated south along the Dixie Highway.

As a result, I have a great love and hope for Detroit's rebound and success as well as having an in-depth knowledge of the international automotive scene. We lived on Lincoln St. back in the late '40's and early 50's while I know what Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish just did today. [[They've been to Detroit before).

Detroit has tremendous talent but, IMHO, the problem has been that Detroit has an 'insular perspective'. When the 'knowledgeable' buying public wanted efficient, good-handling, well-made and stylish vehicles, Detroit said, "This is what you want and need. We know." But, instead, the buying public bought elsewhere.

Even though Detroit's thinking was wrong, America bailed out Detroit because we have hope and belief that you can figure out how to design and build advanced automobiles for the 21st century.

That is an outdated, circa-1983 view on how you think the Detroit-based auto industry perceives the market.