Simon Warburton
Biography
Simon has had many years as a business reporter, starting on a local newspaper in the West Midlands and subsequently working in the aviation and drinks industry sectors.
His experience in the aviation field was latterly with Reed Business Information division Air Transport Intelligence, while he was also Paris correspondent for Flight International.
Simon joined just-auto from RBI at the beginning of 2010 and talks on a daily basis to many of the major industry players, particularly on the supplier side and has developed close links with generic component manufacturer bodies.
These include the European supplier organisation, CLEPA, which, representing five million supply industry workers, is one of the Continent's most significant employers, while its US equivalent, OESA, is of equal importance.
A fluent French speaker, Simon regularly talks to global actors such as Renault, whose alleged industrial espionage scandal in 2011, rocked both its home country and the company. France is home to myriad suppliers - and industrial disputes - with Simon closely following both as Europe enters a period of major economic turbulence.
Component producers in Thailand were devasted by floods in 2011 and Simon regularly talked to both government representatives and suppliers in a bid to gauge the impact. The ongoing epic saga at Saab has left suppliers owed hundreds of millions of Euros and is a business tale Simon has been following on a daily basis.
Born in Southampton, Simon is stuck with the football team of the same name, having gone through thick and thin, mainly thin, during many years of support.
Columns by Simon Warburton
Slice Of Warburton
just-auto business editor Simon Warburton offers up a wide range of views in his distinctive style, informed by daily contact with the global auto industry
Articles by Simon Warburton
BELGIUM: GM could still have say with Youngman Saab 9-3 plan: CLEPA
6 February 2012
European automotive supplier body CLEPA, is cautioning General Motors could still be involved if prospective Saab bidder, Youngman, starts up production using the 9-3 model.
GERMANY: Schaeffler places US$2bn bonds in capital markets
6 February 2012
Schaeffler says it has successfully placed EUR2bn (US$2.6bn) of bonds in the international capital markets, with the issue oversubscribed by around five times.
US: Ford starts work on US$1.1bn Claycomo plant expansion
6 February 2012
Ford has begun construction in Kansas City, Missouri on a US$1.1bn expansion of its Claycomo Assembly Plant.
ALGERIA: Top level delegation meets to discuss new Renault plant
2 February 2012
JAPAN: Denso pays US$78m as DoJ imposes massive cartel fines
1 February 2012
SWEDEN: Youngman lawyers confident of seeing off other bidders as Saab decision looms
31 January 2012
SWEDEN: Debt Office holds fire as receivers seek Saab buyer
30 January 2012
ITALY: Trucker strike costs Fiat 17,000 lost vehicles
30 January 2012
US: Delphi posts FY 2011 net income up 16% to US$1.1bn
30 January 2012
INDIA: Is Mahindra & Mahindra a third Saab bidder?
27 January 2012
TURKEY: Brightwell to make imminent Saab engineer statement as confidentiality deal inked
27 January 2012
COMMENT: Italy on its knees as Fiat austerity ad airs
26 January 2012
ITALY: Fiat helpless as huge strike cripples factories
25 January 2012
SWEDEN: Improved Norway links to help jobless Saab workers
23 January 2012
