The Supplier Industry in Transition:
The New Geography of Auto Production

April 18–19, 2006

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago–Detroit Branch
1600 East Warren Avenue
Detroit, MI

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held a conference examining the ongoing structural changes in the U.S. auto industry. Suppliers play an increasingly central role in auto production, and a strong relationship with their supply base has become critical for carmakers. Evolving carmaker—supplier relations have resulted in regional and international shifts in the location of production. This conference discussed trends in the relations between carmakers and their supply base as well as prospects for the industry's continued concentration in the Midwest.