Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 July 1943 — Page 20

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES ee

« GOOD NEWS FROM THE PRODUCTION FRONT '«

American enterprise and its timestested production methods are meeting and fulfilling the most imposing demands ever placed upon the industry of any country

T HAS BEEN our privilege to play an important part in war production. geared with the supply services of the Army and Navy, and with almost 19,000 other producers who have worked with us. Figures show how successful this “partnership” has been. But they do not show the valuable direction and cooperation we have had from Army and Navy officials. Nor do they indicate the fine spirit of “teamwork” shown by our suppliers and sub. contractors. While 18,735 organizations have shared our big job of war production, there have actually been more than 68,000 such “partnerships” established. For, in many cases, several divisions of General Motors have gone to the same source, though for different types of work. It is interesting to note that nearly three-fourths of the firms which have furnished us parts for war products, employ less than 500 people. Of these more than half employ 100 or less. We have chosen our sub-contractors and suppliers carefully, in order to secure those best qualified for the work at hand. In this we have had one great advantage: “'Sub.contracting”

is merely a wartime extension of a time-honored General Motors method. We have always dealt with thousands of suppliers of materials and parts. And so we have known how to proceed in establishing sources dependable as to both quality and efficiency of per.

formance—not only among organisations with which we have

FACTS ON GENERAL MOTORS SUBCONTRACTING

Total number of sub.contractorsupplier con. nections with GM divisions 68, 505

Number of separate organizations from which GM purchased pacts, materials, services and SUPPHES cceocitiitiiiiiiistisinsisiesenses + ® 4

18,735

Size of organizations furnishing us with parts for war produc tion=at indicated by special survey was as follows:

31% 26%

Firms employing lest than 100 people. .cccciiiit Firms employing 100 to S00 people. senetannnnnt Firms employing mote than $00 people + ’"

General Motors’ policy on subcontractors and suppliers has resulted in the spread of approximately one half ite war work to outside firms. The figures above ave taken from an exbanstive study of wb contracting prepaved in connection with a recent report to the War Department.

formerly worked, but also with the thousands of others which it has been necessary to add This sub-contracting "know-how"-combined with manue facturing “"knowshow" «is largely responsible for the consistent quality of the war goods produced. It also accounts for cost reductions totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, turned back to the Government, The “partnership” of the Armed Forces, (General Motors and the thousands of other businesses involved—some large, some small—is but one example of cooperative wartime endeavor by the automobile industry. All companies in this mass-production industry have been cooperating with one another—and with organizations nos formerly supplying the automotive industry—in order to utilize all knowledge and facilities suited to the task. The success of this method demonstrates one fact of tree mendous importance to all Americans: American enterprise and its time-tested production methods ave meen ing and fulfilling the most imposing demands ever Placed upon the

industry of any country,

CHEVROLET ¢« PONTIAC : OLDSMOBILE « BUICK « CADILLAC : FISHER BODY : FRIGIDAIRE

AC Spark Plug © Aeroproducts « Allison « Cleveland Diesel « Delco Products « Delco Appliance + Delco-Remy « Detroit Diesel + Eastern Aircraft « Electro-Motive « Guide Lamp + Hyatt + New Departure

BrowaLipe-Chapin « Delco Radio + Detroit Transmission + Harrison Radiator « Inland « Moraine Products «

Divisions of General Motors

Packard Electric « Proving Ground « Research Laboratories « Rochester Products «+ Saginaw Malleable Iron + Saginaw Steering Gear « Terasteds «+ United Motors Service

‘ 9 Victory is Qur Business/

PLANES + PLANE ENGINES * TANKS + DIESEL ENGINES * TRUCKS + GUNS * AMMUNITION

AND MORE THAN 2000 OTHER ITEMS OF ARMS AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR ARMY AND NAVY

$

WORKING TOGETHER

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