PR is Job One?
Auto writer: Assembling Ford Focus isn’t so easy I saw this in the paper while in Detroit this week and cringed. Ford is actually letting a reporter help build an actual car for an actual customer?? Without actual training? I…
Auto writer: Assembling Ford Focus isn’t so easy I saw this in the paper while in Detroit this week and cringed. Ford is actually letting a reporter help build an actual car for an actual customer?? Without actual training? I…
Blue-collar exodus brings new challenges – 11/30/06 – The Detroit News Online: UPDATE: In case some of you don’t know my history of writing about how Ford and mass production companies typically don’t respect blue collar workers…. the word “Dummies”…
WXYZ: Investigators Update January 18, 2007: Ford’s Fields Finally Sacrifices This was sent my way from a friend who works at a Ford-related company. I can’t imagine how the CEO of Ford can go to the White House and moan…
Mulally: Ford needs to become one global company – 11/10/06 – The Detroit News Online: Isn’t it funny how it takes an outsider to come in to point out the obvious? New Ford CEO Alan Mulally: “‘The best in the…
800-CEO-READ Blog: When Ford Was A Startup: Here’s a post by Tom Ehrenfeld, a friend of the Lean Blog. He writes about a book from 2004, “Wheels for the World” by Douglas Brinkley. Looking at Ford in the 1910’s (the…
Jim Womack sent out one of his emails today, this time focused on Ford, with their termoil. Either he writes quickly or he already knew Ford was in trouble and was inspired to write by the appointment of new CEO…
USATODAY.com – Ford to cut one-third of salaried staff, $5 billion in costs, stop dividend As a guy who grew up in Michigan and around the auto industry, this is sad. Does it really take a new “$30 Million Dollar…
USATODAY.com – Bill Ford replaced as Ford CEO by Boeing’s Alan Mulally So, will this help? Will Mulally help drive Ford to be more lean?I’m not close to Aero or Boeing at all. A google search showed that Mulally was…
Ford making deep cuts in 2006 production – Yahoo! News: It’s sad to see factories shut down, temporarily or permanently, but it’s sad that Ford can’t sell enough vehicles to merit the production. Boring products (ala Ford Five Hundred) and…
Ford’s Swipe At Toyota Sounds “Desperate” So we’ve been reading all year about Mark Fields, who has the best executive mullet (a.ka. “hockey hair“) I’ve seen in some time, and his “Way Forward” plan for saving Ford. From a marketing…
Hamilton Spectator – News I can’t believe I’m about to defend Ford. I’m not a huge believer in the Way Forward, it sounds like a bunch of hype and spin. What Ford (and GM) should work on is designing popular…
WSJ.com – Mom, Apple Pie and…Toyota? Ford and it’s “Way Forward” leader, Mark Fields, have been trying to wrap the company in the U.S. flag and patriotism. “Americans really do want to buy American brands,” asserted Ford Executive Vice President…