Jennifer Brunner And The Way Forward
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Ohio has a choice: yesterday or tomorrow
Perhaps you've never heard of the Ohio-based company, Cobasys. But it's where the rubber meets the road when progressives talk about the emerging green-blue coalition that using environmental friendly technology to create jobs for the 21st century. Cobasys' plant is in Springboro, just south of Dayton, Ohio and they're a big supplier of advanced nickel metal hydride energy solutions, including batteries for hybrid electric cars, a technology that is gaining widespread acceptance "due to its excellent performance, high energy, reliability, low cost of ownership and long life." In January, Cobasys was forced to layoff over 100 workers due to decreased automotive orders.
That's bad; very bad. These are the kinds of jobs we're supposed to be creating, not losing. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the progressive running for the open Senate seat, met this morning with Cobasys officials and IUE-CWA Local 755 members who work at the plant. With unemployment continuing to soar in the state, there are plenty of reasons for concern and Brunner is largely basing her campaign on jobs, jobs, jobs.
“It is crucial that Ohio identify and support new types of manufacturing jobs that will sustain our communities and our state. Manufacturing that promotes energy independence and honors the environment and the health of our communities is a sure way to achieve these goals. State and federal governments must work together to assist employers such as Cobasys to survive the impending changes to the auto industry, including the effects of the current economic downturn to move Ohio ahead toward the kind of manufacturing that makes our state’s and country’s economies stronger... Manufacturing and industrial businesses must be integrated with and grounded in sound environmental policies to sustain the renewal and growth of our communities. Manufacturing supplies jobs to our communities and self-sufficiency to our country. We must be multifaceted in improving workforce development. The green industrial revolution is here, and Ohio is poised to renew its manufacturing vigor with the help of state and federal legislators and officials who understand the need to work with each other, with the business community and with other active citizens to co-invest in environmentally based businesses that will support a sustainable, long-term economic boon."
Brunner advocates for the green economic recovery expected to be fostered by the stimulus and consistent with Sen. Sherrod Brown’s proposal to increase bank funding for industry and businesses promoting sound environmental practices for communities in Ohio and across the country. Because she has been a strong advocate for the kind of green economic recovery that we're banking on moving the country forward-- and because she's willing to take a leadership role on tough issues most politicians are afraid of-- from marriage equality (unlike her confused, wishy-washy opponent) to ending the bailouts to crooked banksters, DWT has endorsed Jennifer for the Senate today. If you'd like to make sure a critical-thinking progressive gets into the Senate who has proven she will be there for working families rather than for special interests, please consider a donation, even $5 or $10 at our ActBlue page.
Labels: Jennifer Brunner, Ohio, Senate 2010
posted by DownWithTyranny @ 10:00 AM
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7 Comments:
You have no clue what you are talking about. Cobasys is (and always was) a money-losing zombie company, the embodiment of all that's wrong with the Michigan (and US) economy.
Cobasys is not a big supplier of anything. They are a tiny, inefficient, high-cost manufacturer of batteries for the Saturn mild hybrids (mild hybrids, of course, have nothing to do with the real hybrids, like Prius). Saturn won't be a part of GM anymore. But, even if it were, GM has stated that they will be using real batteries (meaning, li-ion) from Hitachi for those same mild hybrids, starting next year. And they are already using batteries from Sanyo for their (few) real hybrids. Wonder why? The reason is that Cobasys made leaking batteries for a whole year, causing the total recall of GM's 2007 hybrid production. GM did not sue and continued to fund that disaster for a while, which probably contributed to the bankruptcy they just filed. The new, smarter, GM is not funding Cobasys anymore. Another potential customer, Mercedes-Benz, was less patient, and they actually sued last year, as Cobasys basically lied to them.
So, how did you get the idea that Cobasys' products have "excellent performance, high energy, reliability, low cost of ownership and long life?" It is actually quite the opposite. Continuing to support that failure will be an enormous waste of taxpayer money and border-line criminal. The State will be much better off paying unemployment benefits and providing training to those few workers left, or otherwise, they will be forced to put $100 million a year in that bottomless hole (as that's what Cobasys' annual cash drain is). I leave it for you to do the math how much is that per worker.
Cobasys has more hybrids on the road than all other suppliers except Panasonic who supplies Toyota and Honda. These hybrids include both mild and aggressive drives as well as industrial and military applications. It is very sad when companies like this are facing layoffs due to a lack of orders (vehicle sales).
It is very sad for somebody to make the outright false claim that Cobasys has more hybrids on the road than Sanyo! It is also an outright lie to claim that anything on the road except mild-hybrids has Cobasys batteries in it.
Anybody who is interested in the truth can check the numbers here:
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/april-2009-dashboard-honda-on-move-25712.html
Cobasys supplies batteries for the milds Malibu, Vue, and Aura, ONLY! Count those vehicles! That's less than 2,600 cars sold in the US year to date. Compare to the 72,000 hybrids sold in the US year to date with batteries from Panasonic (Toyota, GM) and Sanyo (Honda, Ford).
Last year, things did not look better. Cobasys had their batteries in 5,800 mild hybrids, while Panasonic and Sanyo delivered batteries for about 306,000 hybrids.
http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-sales-dashboard/december-2008-dashboard-focus-production-numbers-25416.html
The truth is that Cobasys is facing layoffs not because of decline in vehicle sales. Not at all. Cobasys is facing layoffs (actually, an outright liquidation) because it cannot produce quality batteries profitably, and, partially, because it ruined the entire 2007 hybrid production of GM by delivering leaking batteries.
WOW ECDFAN what a loser!
ecd fan your relly dumb first off we supplied 9000 batteries that leaked which we produce in about 2 months not a whole year when we found the problem it was fixed an good reliable batteries was produced an no time was lost over that mistake. its companies like this that is the back bone of our country we are the future we do what everyone wants to move to the batteries we supplied never had a problem untill gm came in an started changing everything we did we starting losing money when people stopped buying cars not because of our batteries an we never lied to diamler if that were the case why would they settle everything an still agree to get there batteries through us do some research before you talk about something you clearly dont know anything about
The anonymous commenter claims that the 9000 leaking batteries were produced in 2 months, not a whole year. That, of course, begs the questions what was Cobasys doing for the rest of the year (or the other 10 months). It is very easy to see what Cobasys produced and sold, as Cobasys had only one customer, GM (now they have basically none, as GM just discontinued the hybrid Mailibu and is getting rid of the Saturn's Vue and Auras). According to HybridCars, GM sold about 3,000 mild hybrids in year 2007 and about 5,700 in year 2008. That's all (about 9,000). So, yes, Cobasys caused the total recall of GM's 2007 hybrid production.
The claim that Cobasys somehow always made quality batteries and it was GM's fault for them to start leaking is outrageous. Cobasys' had only one customer of any size since its inception (when Cobasys was knows as GM Ovonic), and that was GM.
Cobasys cannot be the backbone of the country, because it has been a money-losing, cash-draining operation, a burden to the taxpayer since year one (so, no, the "problems" did not start in 2007). It has only survived so long only because of generous contributions by Chevron, GM, and the taxpayer. That mistake will be correctly shortly.
Oh, and when did Mercedes settle with Cobasys? The last entry in the docket is May 12th, and as of that date, Mercedes is still suing Cobasys for lying.
The bottom line: the Cobasys manufacturing facility couldn't produce a quality product if it's life depended on it. This facility will never survive with it's current incompetent management and staff.
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