Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board & CEO, American Axle & Manufacturing
It’s not too late to save America’s manufacturing base. We start by flatly rejecting the notion that America cannot compete with the world in manufacturing—America can. The next step is for our policy makers in Washington and state capitols to recognize there is a fierce competition for manufacturing jobs that the rest of the world is now winning. On a level playing field, I’ll pick American manufacturing every day.
Biography
Richard E. Dauch is a 49-year veteran of the automotive industry. He began his career in 1964 when he joined General Motors Corporation following graduation from Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management and science.
Over the course of his 12 years with GM, he progressed from a college-graduate-in-training to the youngest plant manager in Chevrolet’s history. In 1976, he joined Volkswagen of America (VWoA), where he served as group vice president of Manufacturing Operations. Lee Iacocca recruited him to Chrysler Corporation in 1980 to resurrect the company’s ailing manufacturing operations. As executive vice president of Worldwide Manufacturing, Dauch was known as the driving force behind Chrysler’s manufacturing and quality renaissance with his visionary, no-nonsense, people-oriented, get-it-done management style.
In 1994, he co-founded American Axle & Manufacturing by teaming with two investors to purchase the General Motors axle, forge, and driveshaft driveline assets. Today, AAM is one of the top 100 automotive suppliers in the world. It is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol AXL.
Dauch is widely known as an innovative manufacturing strategist and entrepreneur. Besides lecturing extensively on the subject of world-class manufacturing, Dauch has authored a book titled “Passion for Manufacturing,” which is distributed in 80 countries in several languages and used extensively as textbook material at colleges and universities. He has been the recipient of numerous honors during his career.
Dauch is the on the board of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and past chairman of the board of that organization. He also served as chairman of the Manufacturing Institute.