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CAPC makes progress on automotive issues |
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Progress has been made on a number of critical issues facing the
Canadian automotive sector, but more work still needs to be done, says
Michael Grimaldi, president and general manager of General Motors of
Canada Ltd., Oshawa, ON.
"There has been a lot of work accomplished, but there is a lot more
ahead of us," says Grimaldi. "We have been working very hard to develop
a very practical roadmap (for the Canadian automotive industry)."
Continues Grimaldi, "My message today is that we have to move with an even greater sense of urgency."
Grimaldi was addressing the recent 2004 Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association't annual conference and exhibition in his capacity as co-chair of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC).
"CAPC is a very unique partnership. I believe that CAPC definitely has the potential, and it definitely has the objective, to raise the level of performance of the auto industry here in Canada to a much higher level-specifically, to be one of the premier parts of the global automotive industry.
"Objective and potential have yet to be realized. I firmly believe that what we are laying out here is achievable but we have much work ahead of us," says Grimaldi.
According to Grimaldi, CAPC has beenÜ working on a number of initiatives that are critical in forming the foundation of CAPC't vision for the Canadian automotive sector. "With participation from all of the stakeholders, we have hammered out 40 plus recommendations both short- and long-term."
For example, one highlight of CPAC't work includes the creation of the automotive Human Resources Council. "This is a key pillar," notes Grimaldi. "We have also seen $300 million from the federal and Ontario governments in terms of commitments to the border infrastructure."
The overall mood of this year't APMA Conference and Exhibition was very upbeat. That't not surprising given the Ontario government't announcement on the first day of the conference of $500 million in funding for the automotive industry.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty unveiled the $500 million, five-year fund to both help win new automotive plant investment and retain existing plants.
"There was strong leadership on the part of the Ontario government with their announcement of a specific automotive fund of $500 million to help ensure that we gain or win our fair share of large scale investment," says Grimaldi.
The fund is a critical initiative, says Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade Joseph Cordiano. Cordiano also took part in the CAPC panel. "We are investing in an industry that is facing unprecedented competition. More importantly, we are not just investing for the short-term but also for the long-term. The investment we are making here is strategic," he remarks.
Cordiano continues, "This is an industry that we should not overlook and should not take for granted. The Dalton McGuinty Ontario government understands that and understands that now is the time to act. The sense of urgency that Michael Grimaldi talked about is upon us."
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