Southern Auto Industry Wary Of Mexican Competition

Dennis Cuneo, managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office, was quoted in the Associated Press article "Southern Auto Industry Wary Of Mexican Competition." The article, which appeared in numerous media outlets, reported on comments made by speakers at a recent Southern Automotive Conference in light of a decision by German automaker Audi to build its first North American plant in Mexico. Dennis, who is a former Toyota Motor Corporation executive, said U.S. manufacturing can't match Mexican labor costs, but can seek to overcome that disadvantage by stressing education and improving infrastructure. He also argued that attracting auto parts suppliers should become a greater priority domestically. "The average Southern automotive plant gets 30 percent of their supplies within 450 miles, the average Northern one is just the opposite. You have an opportunity in the South with the supply base — you should go after it more aggressively."