Being extremely lucky to have the world available as being my office, I am often in contact with several Automotive Characters. During our enjoyable social dinners some interesting news and curiosities about business developments and challenging strategies of the several OEM Corporations emerge.
Particularly I am getting quite fascinated by Fiat Group Automobile Strategy or, better, the way Sergio Marchionne is trying to pursue in order to get and overcome the Best Manager Mith of ever: Jack Welch (the two decades big Gee of GE).
From May 2011 over Detroit to last Monday in Turin, I began to collect information and small signals, that, once chronologically and rationally collated them together within the official news from local and international press, deliver a logic picture of possible future scenarios of FGA evolution.
Rumours? Fantasy? Or…just simple novel intuitions! Let’s see what’s this gonna be about! Have fun!
WHAT IF…
…FGA decided to shut down Turin Mirafiori Plant within 2015 (by the way…planned since 2008), since the factory is not capable to auto-sustain itself as today (thanks to the Government social security aids), due to the un-allocation of large production volume models (the only feasible technical solution to keep itself alive according to the relevant people, as already mentioned in the local press)…
…FGA was not willing to rapidly invest, since it is looking forward to sell its business to the best bidder (some North American investors maybe? Some asiatic prospects?) operating a spin-off transaction thanking to the strategic modus operandi of J.P. Morgan (the best worlwide provider of asset and wealth management)…
…FGA was not intentioned to stay within Confindustria (the national industrial association o better lobby) for not being obliged to attain to the current national contracts within steady and immobilized of the local economical and political conditions, in order to meet and satisfy the new buyer requests (more used to a different kind of organizational management and leadership, typically from abroad) and becoming very attractive on the market…
…FGA only conserved the 3 sporty brands (“Cult generation”) of high international prestige such as Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo, to transfer over U.S. Functions and Operations (even if Alfa Romeo seems to be in troubles with the current 103 FIAT dealers, since it looks like has forgotten to get involved with the local lobbies, but this is another and different story)…
…trade unions, politicians, italian ambassadors, main suppliers, press and industry knew everything about as per the above revelations…
…the above scenario really happened with awful consequences for the italian suppliers parc, since the new owners usually love to work with their own historical suppliers keeping the productions at the regional localized level…
…how long will be taking to receive a notification by somebody to get rid of this article…oohps…sorry…I meant novel, or be attacked by the interested people who conveniently keep themselves quiet?
We live in a world where everyone claim to be liberal and democratic where we are allowed to illustrate criticism (without insulting) and different views. Any additional information more eligible than the ones collected up to now – in order to develop a sound and crystal journalistic investigation which is very much missing over the automotive market – will be very welcomed.
But only if supported by facts-and-data!
Fitch downgrades Fiat to BB.
Downgraded from automobile to a scooter; when will become a… bike it will be more attractive (or affordable)?
Maurizio,
Thanks for your upgrade….so, this article is becoming more a journalistic investigation than a novel…;)
Wonder Bar! I am very impressed! How long will it take to the Italians to realize they have been winded up by their same Government?
Never!! mainly ’cause on this side of the Alps we’re still stuck on trenches warfare. Playing Guelfi & Ghibellini is our main sport, in any aspect of life and business.
Therefore, there will always be someone supporting this idea o its opposite, disregarding the actual effectiveness of it. Which is definitely a “giving up” of the old continent’s markets.
Anyway, in this case, the government has something yet little to do with it. It’s basically a strategic choice of the ownership side.
Nothing to do with “industrial plans”, just private equity plans. We’ve got to live with it and act (and hope?) for the best to come. Not from them…
Alex,
thank you for your very philosophic and realistic reply.
You are definetely right to stress this fact.
At the end of the day I never met a CEO who was disclosing away from its real mission “to make an Organization surviving across the timelife, making its shareholders happier and richer”!
And look what discussion takes place here! We in Poland are so proud to build Fiats that we are blinded with job preservations. Our government is so involved in survival that forget to secure our own business / brand /strategy. Any company can take away machines leaving just factories – its building walls.
As for Mr. Marchione – we should watch his current actions in a vew of what he is going to do after he quits being CEO.