A Behind the Scenes Look at the Automotive Industry Action Group
DETROIT--As he takes the reigns of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), Andrew Cummins, a 30-year veteran of the auto industry, wants his organization to stand out as a resource for automakers and suppliers.
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| Andrew Cummins, a 30-year veteran of the auto industry, was recently appointed as the executive director of the Automotive Industry Action Group. He says he has his eye on expanding AIAG's impact in the industry while still "sticking to the knitting" on finding solutions to common problems on a non-competitive basis. (Photo: AIAG) |
That may seem daunting given the fact there is a proverbial sea of other automotive organizations that hold conferences, expositions and sponsor discussion forums.
"For years the suppliers have been beaten down on price," noted Cummins, who was installed as AIAG's executive director on July 30. "For example, you sell a part for $20, but next year you're forced to sell it for $17; the following year, $13; and the following year, $12. It's a diminishing return.
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| "For years the suppliers have been beaten down on price," noted Cummins. (Photo: Ford Motor Company) |
"The cry for the suppliers, for years, has been: 'don't sell us advertising space; give us opportunities to get next to our customers.' For years, I've looked for those opportunities in different ways, but it wasn't until I came to AIAG that I realized that this is the forum that the industry has been crying for."
Cummins has had a long career in the automotive field. Prior to joining AIAG, he was vice president of corporate communications for Oxford Automotive, a Tier One supplier of metal modules and assemblies. And, he was formerly publisher and editorial director of Automotive Industries magazine, and proprietor of Cummins Publishing Co.