Purchasing Power

Buying in bulk has never been more popular. Warehouse shopping at places like Costco and Sam's Club has sold many consumers on the procurement secrets of the Big Three -- buy in quantity and the unit price goes down. Whether or not that practice is good for every household is another question, however, there's no doubting that it's a winner for the OEMs. Just ask Tom Stallkamp. The former vice chairman and board member of DaimlerChrysler worked his way to the top through Procurement and Supply. Perhaps the only Big Three CEO to ever do so. And he got there by developing innovative purchasing programs and partnerships for Chrysler like SCORE (Supplier Cost Reduction Effort) and the company's 'Extended Enterprise' concept.

Today, removed from the the daily automotive grind for more than a decade, Mr. Stallkamp is an Industrial Partner with the private equity group Ripplewood Holdings, yet he remains a keen observer of the industry. This week on Autoline Detroit John McElroy welcomes Thomas Stallkamp, one of the most successful automotive leaders in the last thirty years, to the program for his analysis on the continuing upheaval in the automotive world. Joining John on his panel are Edward Lapham from Automotive News and Neal Boudette of the Wall Street Journal.