Not sure if any of you have seen this, but it's quite telling.

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/pl...dex.php?id=1189

Yes, this is how plants should be built and yes the unions *can* be one of the barriers to keep something like this from being built domestically. This isn't the only influence but is a significant one. The initiative has to be made by Ford management to fight to get the correct language in contracts in order to get facilities like this built in the US. It can and has happened. I have told many union guys essentially the same thing in my travels - "If you guys block the creation of advanced, automated facilities in the US, they will simply be built elsewhere and become your competition and eventually kill you off. You can fight to save some job now or you can later fight for your life against superior foreign facilities - you pick. Regardless of where we build them, they are the same." The US has not fared well in getting these plants made domestically but they do get built.

My quaifications in my comments? I quit a very good job in September to be involved in the construction and startup of the most-advanced and largest (of it's kind) metals production unit in the world. In my previous job, I worked all over the world installing these advanced facilities in foreign countries and a US company finally decided to build a GOOD one here in my own town. (Instead of cost-engineering it to death and painting it into a corner down the road.)

Advanced Metals Plant

To see this NOT being built in China or South America was just too interesting to not get involved.

The facilitiy that this is replacing was built about 100 years ago and had a major revamp in 1952-1953. It is still running today and will continue to run until the new one is ready. Obviously the new facility will have the highest level of automation possible and as a result will be competitive in the world market. The union guys are nervous at the facility but also recognize that this is the way ahead, even though when fully online it won't require as many workers as the century old unit.

Part of the reason that this is being built here is because the management had the fortitude to fight the untion, the environmental weenies and the townships involved to get them to agree. I hope that this is a trend in the US that will catch on. I recommend that Ford learn how to do the same if they really want to build these in the US (and I don't think they really do - just lip service).

My $0.02.

I was recently given a Ford Transit van to use at work. It was made in.....Turkey. The engine was made in Spain, but I think the trans is American built. Looks goofy as hell, but it handles pretty well. I can only hope we start to build plants similiar to the one in the video.