Stellantis announced in recent days a mega investment in the United States, with an economic value in the order of $13 billion. A very important approach in strictly economic terms, which however has caused more than a little discontent among Old Continent unions starting with Italian ones and also including Canadian ones. This is due to more than obvious concerns about Stellantis‘ own commitments in managing production levels in Italy and more generally on a European scale.
Conditions that would not seem to worry the Group’s management. On the sidelines of the gala evening organized in Washington by the National Italian American Foundation, for the celebrations of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary of activity, its chairman John Elkann discussed the advantages that led Stellantis to guarantee a $13 billion investment. According to Stellantis‘ chairman, the U.S. investment will bring benefits to Italy as well.
Stellantis’ investments in the United States represent a good opportunity for Italy too, according to John Elkann
According to Stellantis chairman John Elkann’s point of view, the investment of over $13 billion in the United States represents the most important in the Group’s current history. This is “because the opportunities we see in America are great and if you are strong in America you are also strong in the world, so you are also strong in Italy,” Elkann admitted, who then added that this represents “good news for Italy, since if Stellantis does well elsewhere then it does well in Italy too.”
The need for such an investment lies in the desire to increase local production by 50%, combined with the contribution of five new models and at least nineteen product initiatives over the next four years. According to Stellantis, this will generate more than 5,000 new jobs at Group plants in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. These are at least the intentions announced by Stellantis itself in recent days, specifying that the investment is the largest in the Group’s history.
John Elkann’s position, expressed by the words reported above, will serve to direct positive messages to the Italian automotive sector. This is also in accordance with the meeting that will be held this afternoon between Antonio Filosa and Italian unions. The first meeting between Stellantis‘ new CEO, Antonio Filosa, and Italian unions who had requested this meeting for some time is scheduled today at the Mirafiori Centro Stile.
At the center of discussions cannot but be the crisis condition of automotive production in Italy, which has collapsed by over 31% during the first nine months of this year and has led half of employed workers to deal with continuous social safety nets. The industrial future appears justifiably uncertain and in this context Filosa will have to provide answers to the obvious questions that will be asked of him.
