General Motors boss Rick Wagoner said being the world’s largest automaker is not the company’s top priority anymore, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Would we like to stay number one? Sure. Is it the top priority of the company? No,” he said at a press conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the automaker is building a new plant. “We’re really focused on very strong profitability growth and balance-sheet strength in addition to driving the revenue side.” Recently, there has been a great deal of speculation that Toyota will soon surpass GM in terms of overall worldwide sales volume. However, Wagoner hasn’t conceded to losing the sales battle entirely. “If we can keep growing where the opportunities are to grow [...] someone’s going to have to hustle pretty hard to catch up with us like that,” he said.
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06/14, 8:36 AM
posted by:
DaveO
The stock holders are going to LOVE to hear that Rick.
06/14, 8:50 AM
posted by:
aj
Sounds to me like he really doesn’t know what is important.
06/14, 8:56 AM
posted by:
girlwholovescars
REAAAAALLY.. is the quote ‘due to th recent news about Toyota sales…’ missing from this update?
06/14, 9:07 AM
posted by:
Garris
Boy, no mention of making the *best products* in the world as a major goal…
06/14, 9:18 AM
posted by:
duh
GM’s not focused on being #1 anymore, there just focused on staying alive
06/14, 10:00 AM
posted by:
Paul D.
This is nothing new to me. GM hasn’t TRIED to be number one in about 30 years. Certainly not with class leading product. They should have been knocked down a few rungs decades ago. Toyota has worked their asses off to study and adapt to the US market while building a reputation for a quality product. They don’t always hit their target, but at least the effort is their to improve. GM has been milking the market for so long, they have relied on loyalty and history to sell their vehicles. And if that doesn’t work, they BUY the market with generous incentives and fleet sales.
GM is like the Yankees in that I get so sick and tired of seeing them at the top when there are so many better teams that deserve the title based on skills, not the size of their bank account.
“Being number 1 is no longer the top goal”
Good Rick, you don’t deserve it anyways…
06/14, 10:10 AM
posted by:
Joe
#4….I couldn’t agree with you more. That is why #5 is also correct!!! It sounds to me like they still have no clue. “The world knows that we’re losing and we’re going to continue to lose, so I’ll make up an excuse to try and make us look like we know what we’re doing.”
…..and the last comment? Why would you say something stupid like that? Stop giving Toyota more ammunition. They obviously don’t need it. Just concentrate on figuring out what you need to do and do it. You can’t control what Toyota (or any other competitor) does.
06/14, 10:22 AM
posted by:
Thom
The first step is admitting there is a problem….Seems to me that he is at least thinking about there being a problem. Too bad it is very late in the “game” to be switching gears to catch up with all of the other “inovative” companies.
GM will work hard to do better, but it will never be the way it used to be, especially since they are so far behind the others, and playing “catch-up” never seems to be a good and successful game. It isn’t like the other manufacturers are going to sit around.
06/14, 2:05 PM
posted by:
Dean
I agree with everyone … except Joe’s second half.
06/14, 2:50 PM
posted by:
Rob
Hey, you have to give him credit, that’s a great way to put a positive spin on a situation from a company that is going down the crapper!
GM should put as much thought into building cars as they do into spinning stories.
06/14, 3:22 PM
posted by:
Gordon Gekko
How does this chump keep his job?