10522. THE ROLE OF SUPPLIERS IN THE U.S. AUTO INDUSTRY STRATEGY: THE CASE OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY & GM'S SATURN DIVISION. This paper investigates recent trends in the U.S. auto industry's purchasing and supplying operations and the link between supplier-automaker relations and industry efforts towards controlling costs and improving manufacturing efficiency. Following an overview of the current condition of supplier-automaker relations in the U.S. industry, the analysis compares new supplier strategies in two automakers- Ford Motor Company and GM's Saturn Division. 12 pages, 46 footnotes, 37 bibliographic sources.