Charting The Auto Industry's Future
TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- (WWJ) A recovering auto industry serves as the backdrop for the auto industry's big annual conference in Traverse City. However, as the "Management Briefing Seminars" get underway, there are still a lot of issues impacting Michigan's largest industry.
VIDEO: WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert reports from day one of the Management Briefing Seminars.
"How are we going to wrestle with the problems in Europe, which are dragging the industry down even here, and affecting sales as well as profitability," says Jay Baron, who's CEO of the Center For Auto Research. "There are some concerns about policy issues out of Washington, how they may affect our industry."
The Center for Auto Research and the University of Michigan put on the conference every year. This year's theme is "Leveraging Leadership, Manufacturing Momentum."
The first two days focus on manufacturing, and will take a look at issues from a global scale, featuring leaders from several major auto companies.
Barron says the top issue facing manufacturers these days is finding talent.
"It's ironic that we have such a high unemployment rate, but at the same time a number of these businesses are having trouble finding employees to hire."
Baron says they will discuss ways to make sure those applying for manufacturing jobs have the proper skills.
Other major areas of discussion will include the direction of car sales and new technologies. One of the most promising new technologies is the self driving car.
That's a project, Baron says, that's being directed by the government, as part of an effort to reduce fatal crashes.
"The technology, by and large is here today, it's a matter of infrastructure and implementation."
The Management Briefing Seminars will run through Thursday at the Grand Traverse Resort. For instant updates, you can follow AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert's Twitter feed.
