Ford Chairman Celebrates Centennial at Mt. Vernon Bill Ford Sends Positive Message to Area Dealers
As part of Ford Motor Companyês year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary, Chairman Bill Ford, great-grandson of the companyês founder, Henry Ford, flew into town last Wednesday to pump up area dealers and honor the oldest national womenês organization in the country, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.
Whatês the connection? It seems Ford Motor Company has been the associationês largest and strongest partner since 1932, when Henry Ford visited Mount Vernon and noticed they needed a fire engine, which he promptly donated. Bill Ford presented the association with a picture of that first fire engine, and noted that a Ford grant this year will build a new Visitorês Arrival Station that will bear the Ford name.
In his speech to a large gathering of Ford employees and product dealers, Ford was enthusiastically upbeat about the progress the company has made in turning its fortunes around and its prospects for the future. He noted that product quality and manufacturing efficiency were greatly improved, and the company has 100 new products planned for North America in the next five years, including the all-new F-150 series truck. Simply the best truck in the world, he added.
Ford said that although news stories make it seem that no progress has been made, the companyês five-year revitalization efforts have lowered costs dramatically and the company has met or exceeded every quarterly projection laid out to Wall Street. But he added that Ford must continue to tighten its business model and keep costs down.
Corporate responsibility is also a major goal, said Ford, and the company is working in a number of social and environmental areas, such as hybrids, fuel cells and improved diesel and gas engines for cleaner emissions and higher gas mileage. Cars today are the safest, cleanest and highest quality ever, he pointed out.
Ford was obviously proud that his great-grandfather had changed history with the Model T assembly line and a $5 daily wage, but he was quick to add, Nostalgia for the old days wonêt go far now.
He thanked the Ford family of dealers for their role in helping make Ford Motor Company an American icon, and promised them an even brighter future.
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