Re: One Story Assembly Plant What If?

Posted by 58L8134 On 2014/6/9 10:06:48

Hi Steve203

Thanks for your enlightening responses to each of my curiosities about plant configurations so quickly. The timeframe for Nance to act was so brief it probably passed before he even considered it as an option.

Configuring EGB as nearly as possible to a single story or partial bi-story operation to gain whatever efficiencies would have been a good plan. Some modifications to EGB would have been required for material handling; ramps and conveyors, even running to the outside if necessary.

From CFO Grants analysis that the cost of presses, etc. re-installation could only be warranted on a 200K/unit production, perhaps retaining stamping operations at Connor for the time being but phasing in complete body jigging, welding through final trim to EGB on a second floor body line above the chassis line would have been the solution. It's something of a work-around but still utilizes the main plant more fully, rather than creates more unused space.

If instituting such a plan produced better quality 1955 models for immediate delivery at introduction time, I wish Powers would have championed it as an alternative to total assembly Connor move. It seems as if internal costs savings were the focus of their decisions, not how potentially disastrous such a disruptive move could be on the cars the customer received.

On the Studebaker buyout: Studebaker had been losing market segment ground every year since 1950 but still had some assets worth savaging. It's dealer network was broader but populated with many small, weak dealers, though could have given Packard better coverage when dualed.

The inefficiencies and labor problems at South Bend were nearly insurmountable without a bankruptcy. That course presented many dangers as the mid-'50's buyer was very wary of purchasing any make that might become an orphan.

If Packard had decided to get tangled-up with South Bend, they'd have had to do something of a quick acquisition then speedily integrated production at Detroit. Retaining the Chippewa plant to build trucks and Hawks for '56 on would have keep the dealers happy while giving them new larger Commanders and Presidents, more acceptable cars than the "flaccid anatomy sedans" they had been pushing.

Though its hard to imagine how they might have come to the idea without market distress, the '53 sedan tooling eventually was the basis for the Lark series. If management had decided to pursue the compact car course earlier as an adjunct to the full-sized offerings , perhaps a Lark style crash program for '56-'57 might have been mounted.

At any rate, Studebaker and its South Bend operations presented a situation that would have had to be approached with extreme caution......like handling a poisonous snake!

Steve