American made tractors?

[MossRoad]

Didn't Hummer move into one of the old Stude plants out your way?

Sort of. Studebaker went belly up in the 60's. They had a division called the General Products Division. That was bought by Kaiser Industries (JEEP) in '64. They had government contracts for military vehicles. AMC bought the Jeep division from Kaiser around 1970. They made postal vehicles like Jeeps, small vans, etc... as well as military Jeeps and trucks and buses. AMC spun off the GPD as a wholly owned subsidiary and called it AM General. AMC went belly up in 1982 and sold to Renault. However, Renault was owned by the government of France and U.S. govt. rules said no foreign owners of defense contractors. As usual, France surrendered and AM General was sold to LTV, a defense and aerospace contractor. In the late 70's they developed the Hummer. However, hummers were never built in South Bend. They started production in a plant in the next town over, Mishawaka, where they are still built today. The South Bend AM General plant was used for retrofit of hummers that needed special things like missle launchers, hospital cabs, etc... They also had a contract to refurb 2.5 ton and 5 ton trucks for the military. I had a job in the mid 80's driving vehicles out of the South Bend plant to rail spurs all over northern Indiana. We drove new postal vans, new hummers, refrubed duece and a halfs and 5 tons. Fun times. The South Bend plant shut down in the early 90s and remains a hulking building on the city's south side.

Attached is a zip file containing a google earth link. If it works, you can unzip it and save it to your computer. Double click on it and it should take you to an overview of the South Bend plant. Note the large test track to the west that is still used by AM General and the hummer owner club when they have national events in town.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

But, what she was describing was an agreement with union workers when automation started penetrating the auto industry and a certain percentage of paid jobs were required for workers who had no function. .

Simular thing happened here in PA with turnpike toll workers when EZ-Pass came out. The turnpike commision was not allowed to fire any workers even though they where not needed any more. So now we have folks making $14/hr plus a pension and benifits to stand in a booth, and make change every once and awhile. Unbelievable.

 

[john_bud]

Simular thing happened here in PA with turnpike toll workers when EZ-Pass came out. The turnpike commision was not allowed to fire any workers even though they where not needed any more. So now we have folks making $14/hr plus a pension and benifits to stand in a booth, and make change every once and awhile. Unbelievable.

If they had any stones they would re-assign them to picking up trash along the pike.

They have the power, but lack the will.

jb

 

[downslope]

Went 4 pages into Google after search on "Job Banking" and all results point to jobs related to Banking. Any other name for this?

Big Three Bailout? Not So Fast, Declan McCullagh Says A Better Solution Is To Let The Automakers Declare Bankruptcy - CBS News

Jobs Bank - Google

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The major players in the AG tractor industry were producing equipment abroad for ages. In the post WWII era, the process started to take an upswing. Deere has had a strong presence in South America, Europe, and points beyond every since. IH was investing in plants in England, while "licensing" production of tractors in India long before that became taboo, then becoming the latest trend. IH had plants in England well before WWII. The industry has been "global" for quite a while. Ford was reaching out across the seas almost from their entry into the industry.

NO ONE builds 100% of any tractor exclusively in the US any longer. Even the big "Waterloo Deere's" have quite a few major components shipped in from overseas.

AND...If we are to give the title of "US OWNED" to Deere, give the SAME title to Massey Ferguson. That brand is the flagship brand of AGCO. They're based in Duluth Georgia. They also build the Challenger line of tractors sold by Caterpillar, very much so a US brand.

All things equal, when I go shopping for a new tractor, I'd rather have the BEST tractor my money can buy, even if that means buying one ASSEMBLED outside our borders.

 

[MossRoad]

My late 70's IH 2500b was made in England. The I in I.H. stands for INTERNATIONAL.

 

[unreconstructed]

My wife and I manufactured our two kids right here in the USA . Other than them and my fine Shiloh-Sharps rifle in 40-70 Sharps Straight, I doubt we own anything 100 percent red, white, and blue.

 

[N80]

My kids are teenagers now and I'm starting to think they were made in another............universe.

 

[greggh]

My kids are teenagers now and I'm starting to think they were made in another............universe.

I hear that...

 

[chh]

My kids are teenagers now and I'm starting to think they were made in another............universe.

Don't worry, I am sure they think the same about you. Still waiting for my youngest one to get back to this planet.