Chinese-owned Hummer to be headquartered in Detroit?

[WishIhadatruck]

Originally Posted by PontiacBixler

Forget Detroit....
What does it have to offer an outdoors/off-roading brand if all of the design work is to be handled there?

I think a much better place to HQ Hummer would be in my region... The Watertown/Adirondack region.

Being in New York State we see our fair share of corporations closing up shop and running down south mainly due to taxation which can be adverted easily enough with enrolling in the Empire Zone program, as flawed as it is at times.

You can find one of the largest, most important military facilities in the United States here... Fort Drum. Why is this important? Well the fact that the military vehicles are all HumVee based for one. Why not have the corporation that is going to build the current and possibly next gen of military vehicles next door to those that can test them out and use them?

Secondly, Hummer needs to get its marketing and advertising statement correct. It is an off-road vehicle first and foremost. It is not an urban, rim spinning, pimp-mobile as it has been featured for the better part of this decade. Again I ask, what better location to develop an off-roader than the Adirondack Region? People from all over come up here for hiking, fishing, camping, kayaking, bicycling and mountain climbing and that is just in the summer time. As for winter, we are known for the worse Lake Effect Snow in North America which brings skiers and snowmobilers galore. What better region to test your off-roading and all terrain aspects of your vehicle in all conditions imaginable (except desert) than that?

Lastly, this area is heavily steeped in manufacturing which has been dwindling for decades, leaving many families no choice but to leave in near poverty or leave the area. Paper and printing mills, which were once numerous across Jefferson and Lewis counties have been widdled down to a mere few and those are even hanging in there by a life line. You already have the manufacturing bug in the blood of many families up here so if you were to open a production location, there would be no shortage of good and able workers.

You've got to be kidding me. Now Detroit itself is not the best place to be off-roading but nobody is going to build a headquarters right in the Adirondack region either. There is just as much off-roading in MI as NY. I spent some time this summer in the Adirondacks and I didn't see any off-roading going on. Like you said, "hiking, fishing, camping, kayaking, bicycling and mountain climbing" is what I saw as well. I didn't see many trucks or any off-roading going on. I was totally amazed by the % of Suburu Outbacks in the area. It seemed like every other car was an Outback, especially in our campground. The other 25% were camping out of compact cars. Those in trucks seemed to be the minority.

[PontiacBixler]

Originally Posted by WishIhadatruck

You've got to be kidding me. Now Detroit itself is not the best place to be off-roading but nobody is going to build a headquarters right in the Adirondack region either. There is just as much off-roading in MI as NY. I spent some time this summer in the Adirondacks and I didn't see any off-roading going on. Like you said, "hiking, fishing, camping, kayaking, bicycling and mountain climbing" is what I saw as well. I didn't see many trucks or any off-roading going on. I was totally amazed by the % of Suburu Outbacks in the area. It seemed like every other car was an Outback, especially in our campground. The other 25% were camping out of compact cars. Those in trucks seemed to be the minority.

It all depends on WHERE in the ADK you are. In the true mountains you won't be offroading only because of the high chance of going off a cliff. But when you get out west more from the mountains you would not believe the "mudboggers" that are around... granted most of them are military kids.

As for the Outbacks you saw... I would bet that they were "downstaters" who have money and vacation in the mountains. Remember the ADK has always been the playground for the wealthy city folk since the 1800's who don't want to vacay in the Hamptons.

[samy1691]

The HX would be , and if built, will be a certified hit........Where did it go? GM should build this vehicle!!!!!!

[johnny smallblock]

Originally Posted by mkwelbornjr

Its nice how the tree huggers complained about GM having Hummer so the end result is that the income benefits of Hummer now go out of the country to China.

Um, Hummer is bleeding cash. They're losing money, sales and dealerships. Now that giant headache and PR debacle belongs to someone other than GM. And instead of GM losing money on it every year, a Chinese company will. That's a good thing for GM.

Originally Posted by rsbaker

That perception could have easily been changed with the release of newer fuel efficient models. But there is no doubt that everyone knows what a Hummer is and what it is all about. GM almost created it own version of Jeep. one of the most recognized brands in automotive history. It a shame we'll never get to see how an often rumored H4, Jeep Wrangler fighter, could have done on the market. Gas Guzzling would have quickly been forgotten with new fuel efficient models.

Yes, if Hummer manufactured and sold different products they would have a different reputation. I have said before that Hummer should have been the environmental brand. Every Hummer should have had the 2-mode standard (a. Hummers are expensive enough to absord the costs, b. if you're an outdoorsman you should care about the environment). But that's not what GM did. Instead they made gianormous trucks and laughed (along with us) at the thought of small efficient cars. Now, they have to unload the disaster they made for themselves. If someone else wants to spend billions of dollars and take a decade to rebuild the reputation of a brand that sells 20K trucks a year, more power to them. GM has much bigger issues to deal with. Like a lack of a minivan, the DTS/Lucerne, the Impala, the STS, and the Aveo.

Originally Posted by 87silver

NY taxes would kill off any industry, because of our mentally challenged governor. But it is surprising the amount of industry I saw up in Massena, NY, on the St Lawrence River while working on mission critical systems there.

So I guess the taxes haven't killed off the industry.
We all know state govts make sweetheart deals to lure businesses. The tax issue is a red herring.

Originally Posted by Neanderthal

Environazis need to be fought and defeated, just as the other nasties were in The Big Waah.

Originally Posted by Neanderthal

Shame, it's a dying art.

Oh my god the irony. In case you need it spelled out for you: You're a pitiful human being for comparing the two groups, and you should be ashamed of yourself. I'm sure instead you're very proud of that comment.