Douglas Brown hadn't owned an American-made car for 15 years when the dramatic announcement of General Motors' downsizing finally got to him.
The Greenwich, Conn., businessman not only went out and bought a Cadillac. He made it much easier for his 50 employees to buy an American-made auto.Brown, president of Brown Paper Co., announced that he would pay $1,000 to any employee who buys or leases an American-made car this year.
In the wake of President Bush's trip to Japan, Brown and other employers are lending an unexpected hand to the Big Three automakers.
While it's too early to tell if it's a trend, similar ideas recently came to an Illinois insurance agent, an Ohio physician and a county legislator in Buffalo, N.Y.
Automakers could sure use the boost. Early January sales of domestically made vehicles fell 6.2 percent from depressed 1991 levels. And last month, GM announced plans to close 21 plants and lay off 70,000 workers to stem massive losses.
For some employers, though, it was the recent trip by President Bush and the Big Three automakers to win Japanese trade concessions that triggered a special response.
"I think President Bush's efforts are admirable," said insurance agent Ralph Swank, "but I think it is up to the American people to help, and we can hope that our little effort will be a land swell."
Like Brown, Swank offered $1,000 to employees of his Waukegan, Ill., insurance agency toward the purchase of a new, American-made car.
"It is urgent for the American people to recognize the value of American-made automobiles," he said, noting that the eight cars owned by his companies were made in this country. "There is no reason for us to buy foreign cars when there are so many great American cars."
Maybe so, but this wasn't Susan Thompson's way of thinking until her boss, Douglas Brown, came up with his $1,000 offer.
"My attitude on American cars was, `Ugh, I'll never buy American,' " she said. "Because up until the time I bought a Japanese car, I always had problems."
But that extra $1,000 made her think again, and now she's planning to buy a Pontiac.
Four of her co-workers also are considering the offer, said Brown.
One of Brown's employees who views the offer differently said it's important not to overlook quality in buying a car.
"I don't like seeing people lose their jobs," said Eileen McCauley, a sales representative for Brown Paper Co. "But I'd like to be sure they have a good product out."
Dr. William Lippy, a physician in Warren, Ohio, said the idea to offer employees incentives came to him as he was watching "the embarrassment of the government trying to sell American cars to Japan" during Bush's trip there.
"I looked at a map. Japan is a small island. Then I looked at a picture of Japan. It is filled with cars," Lippy said. "I honestly don't think there's a market."
Lippy is offering $200 to buy a used, American-made car, $400 to buy a new car and $600 to buy a new car made at a nearby General Motors plant.
He said he has enlisted 20 other employers in the area who are offering the same deal to their workers. So far, he said, 100 people say they plan on taking the incentive.