Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Ships versus Cars

After a bit of a delay, your humble scribe is back from the hell that comes from moving one’s abode in the midst of a Toronto heat wave, just in time to ponder a couple of recent business announcements.

General Motors this week decided to prep their Oshawa, Ontario, facilities for the production of the new Chevrolet Camaro, slated to begin rolling off the line in 2008 and assuring some 2700 jobs. To do so, GM is planning to invest $740 million (Canadian), a hefty sum of money that comes just a year after the company announced a $2.5 billion reinvestment in their Canadian operations, the largest such expenditure in this country’s automotive history.


Pretty impressive, eh? (I mean the money involved, not the Camaro’s lines.)

Well, not compared to what’s going in shipbuilding circles. As most North Americans enjoyed their summer holidays, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) quietly announced a record set of newbuilding orders for vessels at their Korean shipyards. HHI is one of three Hyundai operations based in Ulsan, on the southeast coast of the Korean peninsula, and the recipient of $2.3 billion (US) in orders in just one month. That’s for 22 vessels. Things are so hectic at the Ulsan yards that they've run out of dry docks to construct ships in and are crafting some of them on the quays, to be later side-launched into the harbour.


What should be of interest here is that GM’s massive investments are for vehicles that have no pre-determined buyers – they’re betting there will be a market for the Camaros once production commences. Hyundai, on the other hand, is merely responding to the continuing – almost insatiable - demand for new vessels by eager buyers.

The auto industry is considered a key market indicator in North America, but are muscle cars really the panacea needed for our economy? Canada – and the U.S. and Britain – long ago wrote off shipbuilding as a viable industry worthy of the support it needed. Too bad, because a couple of billion dollars worth of orders in a single month is nothing to sneeze at.

6 Comments:

At 7:05 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

2015-10-7 xiaozhengm
Michael Kors Factory Outlet Online Official
celine bag
Abercrombie Short T-Shirts
michael kors outlet online
Designer Louis Vuitton Handbags Online
uggs on sale
Louis Vuitton Bags Original
michael kors handbags
Jordan Retro 13 Pink And Grey
Air Jordan Shoes For Women And Men
hermes bags
Jordan Retro 8 Playoffs
michael kors bags
Abercrombie and Co Stoves and Awnings
Red Bottom Shoes Christian Louboutin
Authentic Coach Factory Outlet Online
ugg boots on sale
Louis Vuitton Backpack Purse
ralph lauren
fitflops
Louis Vuitton Outlet Factory Online
hollister uk sale
louis vuitton outlet stores
Authentic Louis Vuitton Monogram Handbag
Michael Kors Outlet Online USA Stores
louis vuitton handbags
Ugg Boots,Ugg Boots Outlet,Ugg Outlet,Cheap Uggs,Uggs On Sale,Ugg Boots Clearance,Uggs For Women
Air Jordan 4 Green Glow
true religion outlet
Louis Vuitton Bags On Sale Cheap
Authentic Gucci Factory Outlet
cheap jerseys
Louis Vuitton Outlet High Quality
canada goose jackets
Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM Monogram

 
At 12:43 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

coach handbags outlet
true religion jeans sale
mlb jerseys
cheap jordan shoes
michael kors uk
michael kors outlet
coach outlet store
louis vuitton outlet store
lacoste pas cher
michael kors handbags wholesale
coach outlet online
michael kors outlet
true religion outlet
cheap ugg boots
michael kors handbags
rolex watches,rolex watches,swiss watches,watches for men,watches for women,omega watches,replica watches,rolex watches for sale,rolex replica,rolex watch,cartier watches,rolex submariner,fake rolex,rolex replica watches,replica rolex
oakley sunglasses
cheap ray ban sunglasses
longchamp handbags outlet
giuseppe zanotti outlet
1128minko

 
At 3:35 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

zhengjx20160425
coach outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
basketball shoes
louis vuitton outlet
air jordan homme
ray ban sunglasses outlet
jordan 6s
concords 11
marc jacobs outlet
coach outlet store online clearances
adidas stan smith
ralph lauren outlet
louis vuitton purses
nike roshe run
coach factory outlet
ray ban outlet
michael kors outlet
adidas superstar
true religion sale
nike roshe run mens
louboutin femme
coach outlet
air jordan 8
fitflop clearance
michael kors outlet
christian louboutin shoes
michael kors purses
christian louboutin sale
louis vuitton purses
nike uk
oakley sunglasses wholesale
ray bans
cheap jerseys
coach outlet
ghd hair straighteners
adidas uk
louis vuitton
polo ralph lauren
louis vuitton purses
oakley sunglasses wholesale

 
At 9:35 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

Lane Kiffin cheap nfl jerseys was apparently putting in some work for Nike Roshe Run FAU even before anyone really knew he was Nike Free Run a candidate for the job.

While there’s been nothing official yet from the school, all signs and reports nfl jerseys store are pointing to the Alabama offensive coordinator being named as the head Nike Air Max 90 coach at christian louboutin uk Florida Atlantic at some point in the not-too-distant future — specifically, at an expected press conference as early as Tuesday morning. Last week, even before reports christian louboutin shoes connecting louboutin outlet Kiffin to FAU first surfaced, NFL Jerseys Kiffin was reportedly looking to add a quarterback wholesale nfl jerseys with whom he’s Nike Air Max 2015 Shoes very familiar.

 
At 1:39 AM, Blogger allresultsall.com said...

Bangladesh Education Result Board & Government Official website. HSC Admission Result 2020 Recently Published. Government web. Student can download HSC Admission Result PDF File.

 
At 7:35 AM, Anonymous assistir brasil said...

transmita online ou baixe gratuitamente em assistironline.com. Todos os episódios mais recentes e anteriores da sua novela favorita da TV brasileira Novela Além da Ilusão Completo online Novela exclusiva da Tv Globo, Todos os episódios mais recentes e anteriores da sua novela favorita da TV brasileira

 

Post a Comment

<< Home