"We've always had the philosophy that we should build vehicles where they are sold, so it makes sense to have suppliers close to your manufacturing operations, " says Mike Goss, external affairs manager for Toyota's engineering and manufacturingdivision in North America.
Clark, a Merck lifer who previously headed the company's manufacturingdivision, has focused initially on improving the efficiency of the company's production plants. (Under his plan, many of the job cuts will come from manufacturing, and five of Merck's 31 plants will be closed.) The goal, outlined on today's call, is to increase manufacturing efficiency, much as automakers like General Motors or computer makers like Dell have in the past.