All articles by Chris Ludwig – Page 17
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FeatureRenault Nissan more than the sum of its parts
Step changes in integration;Management and organisation;Combining in the UK;Network map;Russia as an Alliance template;Europe in decline; Finding opportunities.use the links to jump to different sections Four years after Renault Nissan created Alliance Logistics Europe to combine the logistics management and operations of the two brands, the group is making major ...
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FeatureAn automotive gateway in London?
DP World’s London Gateway, a new container port east of London due to start operations in the fourth quarter of this year, could become a node for containerised parts and finished vehicles in and out out of the UK. Speaking during an Automotive Logistics Webinar, Peter Ward, ...
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FeatureArgol Villanova merges to conquer
An analysis of the recently merged group plans to export European quality to all of its emerging logistics markets.Given the perilous state of the Italian economy and its automotive industry, you might assume an Italian-based logistics company rooted in services to the Fiat Group, and which owns a portfolio of ...
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FeatureAmerican Honda’s flexible future
American Honda’s vice-president of logistics and sales planning, Dennis Manns, outlines the OEM’s route to success in Mexico and North America.
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FeatureGaz broadens production and supply footprint
While Nizhny Novgorod has long been a vehicle production centre for Russia, this year it is emerging as something of an international, if not global link in the automotive supply chain.Driving this change has been Gaz, a Russian commercial vehicle maker, which is ramping up contract production for the VW ...
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FeaturePerceptions of protection
While some OEMs have a minimal approach to vehicle protection, there are those who still advocate a complete cover-up. The roll-out of film;Toyota's minimal approach;Honda reduces protection;The case for full coverage.The protective film now commonly used to protect new cars while they are being transported was first applied in the ...
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FeatureEditor's Note: VW North America and Fiat Latin America
This issue features our first ‘double bill’ cover, with interviews across Volkswagen in North America (p16), and Fiat in Latin America (p26). Each of these stories, carved into their smaller halves, warrants its own cover.Volkswagen's return to US production is historic, while its Mexican growth – even before adding a ...
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FeatureFord seeks to stand out from the cloud
Ford China is pursuing green manufacturing and logistics strategies in a bid to lead the automotive sector’s contribution towards lowering pollution levels over the country’s cities.But there is also another, gloomy symbol rising as quickly as the economy – a dark, acrid cloud hanging above the traffic-choked streets that the ...
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FeatureKorea-EU car carrier freight rate remains steady
Net freight rates for the transport of high-and-heavy equipment from China to North America have shown a continuing decline through February this year, according to Drewry Supply Chain Advisors.Total rates per cubic metre (cbm) in February were $118, down from $130 recorded in February 2012, with the bunker adjustment (BAF) ...
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North American rail providers reveal investment plans for vehicle shipments
Most of the major North American rail providers published their investment plans in the first quarter of the year and there are signs that capacity for finished vehicle shipments is one area that is being targeted as vehicle sales in the US increase and a large amount of production is ...
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FeatureEDITOR’S NOTE: Harmony between all modes
I recently asked an American vehicle logistics executive what his top three priorities were for this year. “Mexico, Mexico and Mexico,” he replied, without hesitation. Many in the US have the same list, even those from OEMs with no production south of the border, so much is the anticipated rush ...
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FeatureGM's winning students propose future supply chains
A competition to encourage business students to look positively at careers in the automotive supply chain unearthed a wealth of innovation and opportunity. GM's Bill Hurles (left) with the winning team was made up of: Caleb Harshbarger, a junior from Botkins, Ohio; Xianwu (Ken) Lin, a junior from China; ...
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FeatureDaimler expansion pushes distribution changes
With a global onslaught of new models planned over the next three years, Daimler’s logistics team is anticipating an increase in transport demand for its main manufacturing bases in Europe and beyond.In November, Daimler once again gathered its vehicle logistics providers for its annual European Carrier Day, held at the ...
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FeatureChristine Krathwohl and the global power player that is GM
GM’s intercontinental material shipments have risen dramatically, changing the dynamic of logistics management and purchasing at the carmaker. Christine Krathwohl, executive director of global logistics and supplier diversity, tells how she is looking for global logistics engineering from providers and increased visibility to keep costs and flows under control.General Motors’ ...
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FeaturePrem Verma and the coming outbound network for Tata
Tata’s vehicle logistics are changing; from transporting trucks on trailers to providing milkrun deliveries to rural dealers, Christopher Ludwig talks to Prem Verma about the current and coming outbound network in India.Prem Verma, the man responsible for delivering Tata Motors passenger cars and commercial vehicles, is fluent in logistics, able ...
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FeatureBenteler gets global visibility
While visibility in the supply chain is a goal for all logistics managers, for many at automotive tier suppliers it is often more of a mantra than an existing management tool – repeat it enough, and hopefully its meaning will seep through to operational reality.That is because many suppliers lack ...
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FeatureVW’s European exports to China will still grow
Volkswagen appears to be looking at exports to China as one option of maintaining plant output in Europe and minimising the risk of inventory build-up. According to its CEO, Martin Winterkorn, speaking from Sao Paolo in Brazil last November, the company could soon be exporting around 200,000 cars, including Audi ...
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FeatureEurope short sea funding could sink or swim
European Union member states are currently debating a funding proposal from the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) that could deliver €31.7 billion ($41 billion) to improve transport infrastructure across the region. That sum is part of a bigger CEF figure of €50 billion that must also cover ...
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FeatureEditor's Note: Supply chains and purchasing
About five years ago, OEM executives described buying components in places like Southeast Asia as ‘low-cost country’ sourcing. A few years later, they started calling it the more cheerful ‘best-cost country’ sourcing. I always thought of this change as a PR cleanse – an obfuscation of the short and clear ...
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FeatureEDITOR’S NOTE: Lack of innovation in vehicle logistics
Lack of innovation in logistics, especially vehicle logistics, is an old complaint. One OEM executive told me that if you Google his name, you’ll find a quote from 2003 – probably from one of our conferences – in which he decried the lack of such progress. His opinion hasn’t changed ...