Re: One Story Assembly Plant What If?

Posted by Steve203 On 2014/5/15 10:27:51

Defense contracts either ended or were steered away by Mr. Wilson's Defense Department,

It's ironic that Studebaker got their J-47 contract right. The terms of the contracts specified the vendors had to provide the buildings, but DoD would provide the equipment.

While Packard dropped $15M building Utica, and buying a plant on Mt Elliott in Detroit, Studebaker used the Chippewa Ave, South Bend plant it already owned, and leased a plant in Chicago. When Wilson pulled the plug, Studebaker was not out a ton of capital, like Packard was.

Also ironic, when the Eisenhower administration bailed out S-P, Curtiss-Wright took over both Utica and Chippewa Ave, and was given the defense contracts that Wilson would not give to S-P.

<i>Particularly the false efficiency claims of Ray Powers (Packard's Production Manager) for the move to Conner,</i>

What Powers was proposing looked reasonable on paper. Nance grasped the better efficiency of a 1 floor plant. Given the production rates of 54, it might have been reasonable. If Packard had moved in during the slow 54 model year, they would have had time to debottleneck the operation before the popular 55s hit the showrooms.

I wonder how much of the problem at Conner was due to inexperienced body people? Did Packard pick up ex Briggs people, or were the body shop staff all new hires or transfers from other Packard departments? Again, grabbing Willow Run not only would yield a body shop, Packard would have a shot at hiring the experienced Kaiser body shop staff.