Schwanengesang
The pace at which NEVS plans to cut jobs has startled the unions ... they thought they and their members were safe at the start of the week. The NEVS management believed that it had received encouraging signals about the progress of the negotiations.
They were apparently too early, too optimistic, or wrong. Question: are we surprised? I am not ! Sober, without a Saab romantic touch, the situation is clear. NEVS loses one asset at a time. First the use of the trademark rights, then the production capability. There are fewer and fewer reasons why anyone should join NEVS.
NEVS will be there in a few days, where the insolvency administrators handed over 2012 in August. A plant that needs to be kept alive with a core team should retain its value. It costs money every day, autumn has begun, winter is catching up faster in Västragötland than here in the south. Then the costs for energy increase, the buildings have to be heated.
At NEVS, 350 employees remain after the termination action. Around 150 to 160 are assigned to the production and maintenance of the systems. The rest of 190 employees work in administration or development. You may still remember the article with the headline siege, It's still going on, maybe Nevs is coming or going.
Morally, at least the end of the episode is reached. Leading trade unionists openly stated on Wednesday that they no longer trust the NEVS management, which is inexperienced with running a car factory and with transactions of this magnitude. Parallels to the final phase of the Muller era were drawn, the saying of the 9 life of a cat made the rounds. Now you have at least arrived at Life 8,5.
Today around € 5.5 million from the state wage guarantee went to employees as wages and salaries. The prepared restructuring plan is to be presented to the first creditors' meeting on October 8. What could be left for renovation ... it's not much. In plain language, no product, no brand, no production. Just an hour-long plant and a development department the size of a better engineering firm.
Yesterday, NEVS admitted for the first time that things are not going as planned. That you underestimated the complexity, as well as the time factor when you went to the negotiations in spring. Also that now you have to find a compromise between the three parties.
The time works to a possible, coolly calculating buyer. He can calmly wait to see what happens and strike when the need is greatest. Without having to accept one of the current shareholders as a minority shareholder, as one would like to have in the Stallbacka. Or with the option of having the best pieces filleted and handed over straight away.
For Trollhättan, for the employees this is hard. These are human tragedies that take place here. Some had given up their job at Volvo to move back to Stallbacka. Where a company, the financial bottleneck in mind, until March recruited workers.
Already noticed? I avoided mentioning the name of our brand in this article. It's the same in Sweden. Even Dagens Industri - the Trollhättan brand not always well-disposed in Muller's time - avoided that in the headline yesterday. NEVS is NEVS, the company has to solve its homemade problems itself. NEVS is probably at the end. When no miracle happens, when there is no white knight. Ailing companies are always waiting for that, but in the vast majority of cases there is no happy final.
To stay with the sober, clear look without Saab romance: the economic life is relentless. Who makes mistakes, who pays. If you make a lot of mistakes, it breaks your neck, you will not get a second chance. NEVS has made many mistakes. That's how the economy is regulated. What is unsustainable disappears from the market. New arises.
... which ultimately brings me back to the question that I asked when I took over NEVS ... why did they get the bid? Illogical and short-sighted - even then for me.
SAAB can only be SAAB with a European Mr, no Indians, no Chinese or Koreans - SAAB is a European brand and represents European (Swedish) values, everything else is Humbug.
The fact is, they're wonderful cars, GM could not stop that, with a mind that seems unaffordable at the moment - so it's relics from another era of the car industry, and we can be proud of having something like that ...
Maybe someone will find that, this understanding is a prerequisite to let SAAB be SAAB.
I think we have now reached a point where it is more sensible and exhilarating to deal with old (i.e. all ever produced) Saab automobiles, instead of wasting time on a NEVS zombie and possibly subsequent mutants to speculate. Drive your Saabs, look after them, collect them, whatever, but: forget about the future. NEVS is not dead, it just smells a bit strange….
The disappointment sits deep just after the past years. I could not and still can not understand why the administrators chose just NEVS. When the production started again in December, I was glad that I was wrong in NEVS and thought yes they can probably what. Unfortunately, the proof of the opposite did not take long to come. Such change baths let the flags flutter.
What was held here by some a hymn of praise for NEVS and what was salvation praised ……… Suddenly there is only shame and abuse for NEVS.
But rightly, can some people remember the vote?
NEVS will master the situation….
What was already written bad about GM and Muller and then everything was not so bad?
Maybe some can remember his comments and consider this with further praises when a new wise knight appears on stage.
I'm sorry I can not read anymore, because your eyes hurt as some turn like flags in the wind.
It's really hard to believe in a good ending for SAAB.
But I still hope that in the future again cars of the brand SAAB in Trollhättan roll off the line.
Let's see how it is, but even if it does not have a new car, SAAB is far from dead.
I see in the used car offer no reason to change to another brand.
Of course, if someone wants to drive a brand new car, that's different.
But that's not the case with me.
For me, an 86iger 900i and an 01er 9-3 coupe run in everyday life and that's good.
Coming soon is an 83iger 900 GL
We will see how it comes.
Michael, do you want to rub salt in my wounds?
If I came, I would bite where!
Because at that time I wasted my wonderful 83 900 GLE Sedan.
It sounds tough what Gallix wrote, but he's right.
The last months / years have been very harmful to our small brand. Even if Saab is to be resurrected for the second time, something that even Jesus Christ has not achieved, it will be difficult to survive on the market. Where should the new customers come from? So not the convinced Saab pilots who want to exchange their vehicles with mileage of 250.000 kilometers and more, no, I mean interested drivers of foreign brands.
Victor Muller's visions were six-digit sales. An ambitious, but also the right goal. Only who should be these buyers?
Each of us has our opinion and we all hope for a happy ending. In my opinion, a positive future can only be shaped by an established car manufacturer such as BMW. A few years ago, cooperation in the engine segment was once considered. I can't imagine the M & M's going to fix it.
Finally, all the best to all Saab drivers and a huge “thank you” on top for Tom his efforts.
The confidence that the responsible wise and wisely in the sense of the company SAAB decide is gone! SAAB was not relevant at the time (with 3.500 employees) for business and politics! Should this be different for a company reduced to not even 10% ?! Hardly likely! SAAB is dead !!!
The trust is really gone, in Trollhättan you are mad at NEVS and feel led. Whether the automotive industry there is really history, will show the next few months. Wait!
I will drive to the bitter end of my Saabs.
But as Helko says; "I feel sorry for the workers".
That's the worst thing for me to handle now.
People,
Nothing has been decided yet - if NEVS can no longer do it, it does not mean that an experienced new owner is just as simple as NEVS. He certainly has completely different plans.
In any case, Mahindra (or whoever) should make sure to get the brand name back as soon as possible and, in particular, not to let more time elapse before the takeover - otherwise the shot could backfire by always scratching the SAAB image slips further!
Cruel but true - what and where should the SAAB image slide?
Which image - Tom will eat me - there is none.
Just ask “normal” people in your area - who knows or still knows the company.
There is no PR company that can fix the drama of the past few years - once a laughing stock, always a laughing stock.
Similar to the class bang at school - everyone can still remember it.
If the name SAAB is used today, every “expert” knows and remembers that these are the ones who have always been broke.
Image is everything - there is none here!
Yes, Tom will eat you ;-). But not if you have a more differentiated view of the image. I think we should make a distinction. My brief approach: On the one hand, there are the vehicles, to which I always get friendly reactions. They are actually “Saab” and they are liked. The NEVS disaster does not interest 99.99% of the population. Hardly anyone outside of our circles takes any notice of it. And anyone who read the negative Saab headlines in the daily newspaper again today will have forgotten about it in a few weeks. NEVS - was there something? A footnote to the story. But the cars stay.
Oh!
Two souls live in our breasts.
There it should not tear !!!
I see that with the image similar to Tom, there are actually consistently positive reactions when you appear with a SAAB.
I had a case like this just two days ago when renting a trailer for garden waste. I told the boss right away in the office that I needed the adapter for the old socket. He came out with it and the first sentence was. "What a nice car." Then he opened the socket and was amazed that the adapter was really necessary. When I told him that he was going to come of age in March, I just said, "Yes, they are indestructible."
That went down well!
So the image is still amazingly good and the company information we get from Tom is just read by us.
The worst but unfortunately also the most realistic words from Tom are the following: "There are fewer and fewer reasons why anyone should join NEVS."
The Stallbacka folds apart and stands with his pants pulled out. It's a tragedy, you have to ask the question WHO WOMIT should ever build automobiles again in Trollhättan? Nobody wants to bring this work back to fruition.
In my opinion, the only interest is in the Phoenix platform or possibly in the brand name “Saab” with possibly future-oriented production outside of Trollhättan / Sweden / etc.
Dear Saab fan,
Apparently you have not noticed that the brand name SAAB exists only for a buyer who continues to produce in Trollhättan.
The work also does not have to - as you suggest - be brought into shape. It is in good shape! It is also a relatively modern work.
That NEVS no one wants to get started, is somehow understandable and says on the other hand, but on no account that no one wants to take over the production site.
Possibly. it starts again with the E-SAAB (under the aegis of the new owner). Not only in terms of range would it be superior to most other direct competitors (including the e-Golf, which has been highly praised by some commentators) - with additional small “refinements” we would even have the first real SAAB under new management!
With torches and pitchforks it would be almost fun again. In this context I can recommend reading a novel. The novel is called “Elchscheiße” and is by Lars Simon. Unfortunately, it only contains Volvo's and no Saab's, but is still laughable (medicine against this sch ……. News)
All competence simulants. Or something like that happens when crazy blind people lead. I'm still convinced that GM has paid the administration to make sure that SAAB can never continue to exist. Should the ex-Saabfahrer in Amiland but better buy a Chevrolet.
I could only puke. You can not describe it any differently. Above all, I feel sorry for the workers. I'm just waiting for the day when NEVS is being chased out of town with torches and pitchforks.
More than bankruptcy can not be said. Nice that the name Saab now remains outside. NEVS was never really Saab. The vultures circle and wait until the time has come. NEVS has not taken his chance and should now make room for someone who can or to create something new in Trollhättan. Which unfortunately does not mean that the new must have something to do with Saab or must be called.
All this can not be serious. When it's time for NEVS to clear the stage, that's all I can think of.