The Cameron family started Cameron Auto Parts in 1965 in Canada to take advantage of the Auto Pact (APTA) of 1965, which established trade and transportation between the United States and Canada.
The APTA was created to encourage free trade between the two countries by reducing tariffs and other barriers to trade in the automotive sector. The Camerons were able to quickly secure a license from Chrysler Corporation to produce and sell car parts under the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth brands in Canada.
In 1968, the Cameron family decided to expand their business by opening a second plant in the United States. The company was able to secure a contract with Ford Motor Company to produce parts for the Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln brands.
In the 1970s, Cameron Auto Parts began to focus more on marketing and less on production. The company hired its first marketing director in 1971 and began advertising on television and radio. In 1974, the company launched its first national advertising campaign.
In the 1980s, Cameron Auto Parts continued to grow and expand its operations. The company opened plants in Mexico and Europe and began licensing its parts to other manufacturers. In addition, the company began paying royalties to Chrysler and Ford for the use of their logos and trademarks.
Today, Cameron Auto Parts is a global leader in the automotive aftermarket industry. The company operates plants on five continents and employs over 8,000 people. Cameron Auto Parts is dedicated to providing quality parts and excellent customer service.
The APTA allowed for tariff-free trade between the Big Three American carmakers and parts suppliers in both nations, as well as factories on both sides of the border. The one exception to gain access to zero-tariff trade under the APTA was that producers must maintain assembly facilities on both sides of the border.
Specifically, Cameron Auto Parts created original equipment components (OEM) like small engine parts and accessories based on design specs supplied by automobile manufacturers and then sold these items to them.
Trade with Mexico under the APTA agreement was critical to Cameron Auto Parts’ success. In the early 1990’s, however, the Mexican government changed the import/export rules related to the auto industry, in violation of the APTA. These changes had a direct and detrimental impact on Cameron Auto Parts sales in Mexico.
Cameron Auto Parts responded by filing a claim under Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Chapter 19 allows for the resolution of trade disputes between NAFTA countries through binding arbitration. The arbitrator ruled in favor of Cameron Auto Parts, finding that the Mexican government had indeed violated the terms of the APTA.
Despite this victory, Cameron Auto Parts sales in Mexico never fully recovered, as the Mexican government continued to enact policies that made it difficult for auto parts suppliers to do business in the country. In 2014, Cameron Auto Parts sold its Mexican operations to a local competitor.
Looking back, the history of Cameron Auto Parts is a story of how one company was able to adapt and thrive in spite of changing trade conditions. The company’s success is a testament to the importance of free and fair trade between NAFTA countries.
In 2001, Nick Cameron took over and was immediately confronted with a financial crisis. Sales in 2000 fell to $48 million, from which they dropped to $18 million in the first six months of 2001. Nick lost $2.5 million in 2000, as well as the same amount in the first six months of 2001.
This decrease was caused by declining auto sales of American cars and trucks and an increase in the number of Japanese automakers on the market. Market forces compelled American businesses to seek ways to reduce expenses and update manufacturing facilities.
At the same time, Japanese firms were using just-in-time inventory methods and other techniques to become more efficient.
In response to these challenges, Cameron began a program of cost cutting and modernization. The company consolidated its operations, reducing the number of plants from four to two. It also invested in new equipment and updated its product line. As a result of these changes, Cameron was able to increase sales to $60 million in 2002 and return to profitability.
Cameron continued to invest in its business in the following years. In 2003, it purchased a license to use a new type of engine oil filter. This filter had been developed by a small company in Michigan and was not yet widely used in the automotive industry. By investing in this new technology, Cameron was able to increase its sales to $70 million in 2004.
However, because Cameron didn’t have its own design engineering staff, it used specs from the Big Three automakers for its products. This left Alex Cameron with a nagging suspicion that product development was necessary for the company’s long-term success. In 2001, Cameron made the decisions needed to design and develop its own parts line. Four design engineers were hired by Cameron in 2002, and they came up with a flexible coupling concept that would please both domestic and international customers.
The design was licensed to a Japanese company, and the royalties received provided the funding for Cameron Auto Parts’ first expansion outside of Detroit.
Cameron’s strategy shift from parts supplier to product designer proved to be very successful. The company’s revenue grew from $20 million in 2001 to $100 million by 2006. Cameron’s products were being sold in over 30 countries and the company had opened offices in Europe and Asia.
In 2007, Forbes magazine named Cameron Auto Parts one of the 200 Best Small Companies in America. Alex Cameron attributes his company’s success to its ability to adapt and change with the times. He is confident that Cameron Auto Parts will continue to be a leading player in the auto parts industry for many years to come.
Taking all of this into account, I believe Alex did the right thing in giving McTaggart a license. Although it was a wonderful chance, I believe he should have done things differently. He simply signed the agreement with McTaggart without consulting his financial, operational, and legal advisors. He didn’t really give everything else a thorough examination before closing the deal.
The agreement gave McTaggart an exclusive license to manufacture and sell products under the Cameron Auto Parts brand in North America for a period of five years. In exchange, McTaggart agreed to pay Alex a royalty of 10 percent of net sales.
Although the royalty was relatively low, it was a percentage of net sales, which meant that if McTaggart was successful in selling the products, the royalties would start to add up. Moreover, the agreement gave McTaggart the option to renew the license for an additional five years at the same royalty rate.
At the time, Alex was confident that McTaggart would be successful in selling the products in North America and that the royalties would provide a significant stream of revenue for the company.