Chrysler's Turnaround Plan: Less Is More
2008年02月11日14:42
克莱斯勒(Chrysler LLC)提出了一个大胆的复苏计划：减少款式，关注能带来更高利润的车型。
Chrysler LLC is laying out a turnaround plan based on a radical idea: Offering a smaller number of models will lead to bigger profits.
在今后三年左右的时间里，这家少数人持股汽车公司将把目前的大约30种车型减少至多一半，此举起码会在一段时间内导致销量的下滑。克莱斯勒预计，随着这一措施的执行，目前的3,600家经销商网络也会发生大规模的整合。
Over the next three years or so, the closely held auto maker plans to drop as many as half of the roughly 30 models it now produces, a move likely to cut sales at least for a while. Along the way, it expects a substantial consolidation in its network of 3,600 dealers.
克莱斯勒副董事长吉姆?普利斯(Jim Press)在接受采访时表示，我们将成为美国最佳的小规模汽车公司。
'We're going to be the best little car company in America,' Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press said in an interview here.
这一计划明显有违汽车业乃至底特律的常规做法。近一个世纪以来，汽车厂家一直在强调汽车生产的规模经济。“越大越好”的信条推动了底特律三大汽车公司和大多数竞争对手在过去几十年中的发展。这催生了多起并购，也是汽车业迄今为止几乎所有重组努力的基础。
The plan defies conventional wisdom in the auto industry and in Detroit. For almost a century, auto makers have been fixated on building greater economies of scale. The notion that bigger is better has driven each of Detroit's Big Three auto makers and most of their rivals for decades. It inspired several mergers and provided the foundation for just about every turnaround effort the industry has seen.
但普利斯说，克莱斯勒新的管理团队及其主要持股公司私人资本运营公司Cerberus Capital Management LP的顾问相信，该行业的旧规则已经不再适用了。
But the new management team at Chrysler and its advisers at private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, its majority owner, are convinced 'the old rules in this industry no longer apply,' Mr. Press said.
美国已经成为发展缓慢的成熟市场，竞争非常激烈，以至于没有哪家汽车厂家能够寄希望于销量的快速增长。而提高销量曾是以前克莱斯勒复苏努力的重要组成部分，也仍是许多汽车厂家的目标。
The U.S. has become a mature, slow-growth market, and competition is so fierce that no auto maker can count on rapid increases in sales, which were a key component of the previous turnaround effort at Chrysler and are still a goal of many auto makers.
普利斯表示，汽车业现在难以实现销量的大幅增长了，我们不应该再做梦，而要面对现实。
'There's no huge [increase in sales] volume around the corner,' Mr. Press said. 'We need to give up that dream and face reality.'
克莱斯勒去年的轿车和卡车产量约为270万辆。在仍是前戴姆勒-克莱斯勒(DaimlerChrysler AG)的子公司时，它曾计划大大扩大车辆型号，在10年内将轿车和卡车的销量提高到400万辆左右。
Chrysler produced about 2.7 million cars and trucks last year. While it was still part of the former DaimlerChrysler AG, it planned substantial expansion of its model line and an increase in sales to around four million cars and trucks a year within 10 years.
普利斯表示，克莱斯勒能在目前的销量水平下实现盈利。他承认，克莱斯勒调整产品线可能带来销量的下滑，但表示公司希望能通过增加在中国、印度和东欧等海外发展中市场的销量保持产量的稳定。
Mr. Press said Chrysler can be profitable with sales around the current level. He acknowledged that sales volume could slip as Chrysler adjusts its product line but said the company hopes to keep production steady by increasing sales overseas, especially in developing markets like China, India and Eastern Europe.
克莱斯勒“瘦身复苏计划”在业内遇到了一些质疑。上周，前克莱斯勒管理人员杰拉姆?约克(Jerome B. York)表示，克莱斯勒作为一家独立的公司缺乏生命力，尤其是因为其90%的销量都来自于北美。
The idea that Chrysler can survive as a smaller car company has met some skepticism within the industry. Last week, former Chrysler executive Jerome B. York said Chrysler 'is not viable' as an independent company, especially because 90% of its sales come from North America.
约克在芝加哥表示，Cerberus试图拯救克莱斯勒是做了一件正确的事情，但他认为下一步应该是将其卖给外国汽车公司。
Speaking in Chicago, Mr. York said Cerberus is 'doing the right thing' to try to fix Chrysler but said he believes the next step should be selling it to a foreign auto company.
普利斯在旧金山承认，约克的逻辑或许适用于“旧克莱斯勒”。但他说，Cerberus致力于打造能够长期繁荣的“新克莱斯勒”。
In San Francisco, Mr. Press acknowledged that Mr. York's logic could apply to 'the old Chrysler.' But he said Cerberus is committed to creating a 'new Chrysler' that can prosper long term.
支撑克莱斯勒想法的因素之一是：它已经不再属于上市公司。普利斯表示，减少产品种类的过渡期可能会带来销量下降的困难时期。但作为一家非上市公司，克莱斯勒不必每季度公布业绩，也不用担心股票市场的表现。普利斯说，我们的一举一动都不会再受到华尔街的监视。
Underpinning Chrysler's thinking is the fact that it is no longer a public company. Mr. Press said the transition to a smaller product line could result in some difficult times in which sales slump. But as a private company, Chrysler doesn't report quarterly earnings or worry about the stock market. 'We don't have Wall Street looking over our shoulder,' Mr. Press said.
克莱斯勒的主要美国竞争对手通用汽车(General Motors Corp.)和福特汽车(Ford Motor Co.)都难享受到这种待遇。对北美销量的担忧令通用汽车股票不久前创出了20个月来的低点，不过此后该股收复了一些失地。
Chrysler's main U.S. rivals, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., don't have that luxury. Concerns about sales in North America helped pushed GM shares to a 20-month low recently, although the stock has regained some ground.
通用汽车的重组就采取了更为常规的做法。在削减成本的同时，该公司也在开发更多具有吸引力的车型，希望借此拉动销售。零售量的增加有望提高其在美国市场的占有率，抵消面向租赁公司的低利润率车型销量的下滑。
GM is taking a more conventional path with its restructuring effort. While slashing costs, the company has been developing more attractive vehicles in hopes they will lift sales. An increase in retail sales is supposed to push its U.S. market share a bit higher and offset declines in low-margin sales to rental fleets.
普利斯说，克莱斯勒计划在今后三、四年的时间里改革其产品，取消一些车型，改进一些车型，并在新领域中增加一些车型。克莱斯勒管理人员在上周同经销商的会议中表示，公司最终将保留15至20款车型，数量少于目前的30种左右。
Chrysler plans to overhaul its products over the next three to four years, dropping some models, improving others and adding vehicles in new segments, Mr. Press said. In meetings with Chrysler dealers in the past week, Chrysler officials suggested the company may end up with 15 to 20 models instead of the 30 or so it offers now.
普利斯在旧金山向记者表示，克莱斯勒将在未来减少车型，但他没有透露具体数字。
Speaking with reporters in San Francisco, Mr. Press said Chrysler will offer fewer models in the future but said it has no specific number in mind.
普利斯表示，公司认为如果将资金用于生产种类更少、品质更好的车型上将会进一步提高利润。目前的产品线包括了车型基本相同的轿车和卡车，不同的仅仅是品牌。普利斯说，公司目前生产克莱斯勒Town & Country和道奇(Dodge) Caravan两种微型客车，而它们争夺的是相同的客户。
The company believes it can be more profitable if it spends money producing fewer, but better, vehicles, Mr. Press said. The current product line includes cars and trucks that are essentially identical products, differentiated only by their brands. It makes two minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan, that compete for the same customers, Mr. Press said.
预计车型的减少将迫使克莱斯勒的经销商网络进行整合。随着销售车型的减少，部分道奇、克莱斯勒和吉普(Jeep)经销商不会有足够的业务保持独立。许多可能会进行合并，而这也是克莱斯勒一直鼓励的做法。克莱斯勒可能会关闭全部或大部分只经销一种品牌的“独立”商店，它还计划向有意收购其它商家的经销商提供贷款。
The reduction in models is expected to force a consolidation of Chrysler's dealer network. With fewer models to sell, some Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep dealers won't have enough business to remain independent. Many will probably have to merge, something Chrysler has been encouraging. It would like to eliminate all or most 'stand-alone' stores that carry just one of its brands. The company plans to offer loans to dealers who want to buy out others.
产量的下降会给克莱斯勒带来进一步降低工资和关闭工厂的空间，但普利斯称，他希望克莱斯勒不会扩大其裁员计划。该公司已计划裁减8,500到10,000个小时工和1,000个正式职位。
Producing fewer vehicles could leave Chrysler room for further payroll cuts and plant closures, but Mr. Press said he hopes Chrysler won't have to expand the job cuts it has planned. The company is planning to eliminate 8,500 to 10,000 hourly jobs and 1,000 salaried positions.
Neal E. Boudette / Terry Kosdrosky
没有评论:
发表评论