With the closing of NUMMI on April 1st, 2010, radio program "This American Life" gives us a one hour history of the Toyota/GM automotive plant that should have changed the car industry in the US and why it didn't.
For those of you not familiar with "This American Life" and it's host Ira Glass, you are in for a treat. The rest of you will be as enraptured with his narrative as usual.
NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.) was a joint venture between Toyota and GM to build cars together in Fremont, CA.
Toyota wanted to learn how to build cars in the US utilizing US workers, US management and get a better understanding of how US suppliers operated. GM wanted to learn how to build small compact cars and how Toyota's TPS (Toyota Production System) worked. TPS is the reason Toyota became such a dominate force in the industry so quickly and GM wanted to gain knowledge from their partnership.
I believe listening to this radio program is very important for anyone interested in understanding change from the workers point of view at NUMMI.
The GM- Fremont facility was originally closed in 1982 because it was deemed the worst plant that GM had. It was filled with workers who would gamble, drink, have sex and do drugs while they were working in the plant.
How did this plant, when it reopened as NUMMI in 1984 with 85% of the same workforce, turn out some of the highest quality cars in the US? And why did it close down recently?
You'll just have to listen to find out.
Click HERE: The NUMMI Story *This is a radio program...no video will be running
