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Re: jimbonano post# 12

Monday, 05/25/2009 8:53:16 PM

Monday, May 25, 2009 8:53:16 PM

Post# of 54
Honda overtakes Toyota in parts supplier survey
Honda unseats Toyota as top business partner among parts suppliers; Ford bests GM, Chrysler
Dan Strumpf, AP Auto Writer
On Monday May 25, 2009, 3:23 pm EDT



http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Honda-overtakes-Toyota-in-apf-15340373.html?sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

NEW YORK (AP) -- Honda Motor Co. overtook Toyota Motor Corp. as the top company that auto parts suppliers prefer to do business with, according to an annual survey released Monday.

Toyota has been the No. 1 automaker among the parts suppliers since 2002, but its ratings have fallen steadily over the last two years, according to a study by Planning Perspectives Inc., a Birmingham, Mich.-based company that surveys manufacturing and service industries. Honda's marks declined from last year as well, though not by as much.

Japanese automakers continued to boast the best relations with their suppliers, with Nissan Motor Co. coming in third among the six automakers ranked. Ford Motor Co.'s supplier relations improved dramatically for the second year in a row, coming in fourth, followed by General Motors Corp. then Chrysler LLC.

"While Ford still has a lot of work to do, what they're doing with their suppliers is working," said John W. Henke, president and chief executive of Planning Perspectives, in a written statement.

Suppliers who work with Toyota complained of a younger, less experienced staff at the Japanese automaker's purchasing group, Henke said. It said Ford's improvement was due to its recent decision to transfer its top European purchasing executive to the U.S.

Ford remains the only automaker among the Detroit Three that has not accepted government aid. Crosstown rival Chrysler is in the midst of bankruptcy protection and many of its biggest creditors are parts suppliers waiting to be paid.

GM, meanwhile, is holding out hope for an out-of-court restructuring. If faces a deadline at the end of the month to get its bondholders -- who hold $27 billion in debt -- to take a 10 percent equity stake in the company. If it is unsuccessful, it will likely file for bankruptcy protection.

Automakers rely on parts suppliers to meet quality standards, provide new technology and make investments to fulfill supply contracts. But another bankruptcy is likely to be highly disruptive to the supply base, which is already reeling as automakers cut production and idle their factories to cope with falling sales.

A total of 231 first-tier parts suppliers representing 52 percent of automakers' annual purchases responded to the survey, which was conducted over three weeks in April. The survey ranked the automakers based on degree of trust, open and honest communication, amount of help given to suppliers to reduce costs, and supplier profit opportunities, the company said.


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