The occasion was one of those not to be missed. The Korean auto giant Hyundai had the opportunity to capitalize on the difficulties that for weeks have been complicating the lives of its Japanese competitors, all, more or less, grappling with the damage caused to their supply chains by the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster in last March. At a time like this, everything was needed except a strike in a key plant of a major supplier such as Yoosung Enterprise which supplies part of the components for pistons and cylinders to the Korean giant. Result: stationary lines, like those of diesel engines, or on the verge of running dry like those of petrol engines. The impasse, which had been going on for a week now, was solved by the police who deployed more than 2.500 agents to disperse about 500 workers and allow production to resume which should return to normal levels already during the weekend. Had the shutdown continued through the end of the month, Hyundai says it would have lost some $756 million and, together with its other Kia brand, would have put 50 fewer cars on the market. It confirms, in case any are needed, that the attractive savings afforded by relying on a single supplier can sometimes cost more than you imagine.
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/05/117_87577.html
