Way Forward


27,000 Ford workers have officially left the building

The Detroit Free Press is reporting today that since Ford began offering buyouts and early retirement offers to its hourly employees last year, about 27,000 have accepted and left the company. Since the offer was made last October to hourly workers at all of Ford's plants in North America, about 8,000 before the ball dropped on 2007 and 19,000 so far this year. Fortunately for Ford, about half were not eligible for early retirement, which means the automaker takes on less long-term retiree health care liability. Some of the workers who clocked ... Read more →

Mark Fields to white-collar crew: "How do you feel?" Frank Filipponio

If you are still here after seeing your friends and colleagues pink-slipped (or encouraged to take buyouts or early retirement), then we want to know how you're feeling. That was the basic message ...

Ford's cost of recovery: Over $11 Billion for accelerated restructuring Chris Shunk

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that surfaced yesterday, Ford estimated that it the accelerated restructuring plan announced last September will cost $11.2 billion when the ...

Ohio offering the farm for Ford to stay John Neff

We here in Ohio love our Ford plants. We've got 'em all over the place – in Cleveland, in Toledo, in Cincinnati... wait. Scratch those last two, as the Way Forward plan counts among its victims ...

Ford forced to weather the storm through 2008 Stuart Waterman

By now, everyone knows that Ford Motor is in trouble in North America, largely because of a product line that missed a rapid shift in consumer preferences, but there's a limit to how quickly the ...

It's Job Fair Day at FoMoCo! 3 years ago on Autoblog

It's not usually a good sign when your boss starts talking to you about what you want to do with the rest of your life. If they start leaving the help wanted classifieds on your desk, things are really getting bad. If they actually bring in a number of other employers to recruit amongst their ...

Ford drew on politics to reverse image "180 in 180" 3 years ago on Autoblog

Daniel Howes of The Detroit News has written a piece on the project that was supposed to pave the way for Ford's Way Forward turnaround plan. It wasn't as big as Alan Mulally coming in or the restructuring plans now in effect, but it did involve Clinton White House consultants using polling and ...

Ford Bold Moves - Episode 13: Close to the Edge 3 years ago on Autoblog

The Ford Bold Moves web-based documentary reaches lucky number 13 today and focuses it's power over audio and video on the upcoming Ford Edge. "This launch is absolutely crucial," says Mark Fields in the episode, and we couldn't agree with him more. I say as much in an accompanying piece on the ...

Way Forward 2.0: Product, product, product 3 years ago on Autoblog

If you're like us, no doubt you're most interested in how Ford's accelerated Way Forward plan is going to affect the company's product portfolio. Having just watched the webcast delivered by Mark Fields (a trasnscript of his speech can be found after the jump), here's what we can tell you. ...

Ford's Accelerated Way Forward Plan details announced 3 years ago on Autoblog

All right, we got up this early to get Ford's announcement first thing, so let's get to it. Ford has announced, in a nutshell, that Way Forward 2.0 will include a further reduction in its production capacity and work force combined with a "ramp up" of new product introductions. The company also ...

Two senior Ford executives quit 3 years ago on Autoblog

Ahead of Friday's announcement of Ford Motor Co.'s "Accelerated Way Forward" plan, two senior Ford Motor Co. execs have quit. Anne Stevens, COO of the Americas and Dave Szczupak, head of manufacturing for the Americas have, in the company's words, "elected to retire." Stevens has been with Ford for ...

Ford of Europe spared the Way Forward 3 years ago on Autoblog

As Ford readies the presentation of the Accelerated Way Forward plan for North America tomorrow, in Europe, it'll be business as usual. Ford's profitable European division offers a peek at what life could be like for the North American division after the Way Forward -- assuming all goes well. To ...

Way Forward goes WOT tomorrow, all brands are safe 3 years ago on Autoblog

Ford announced this afternoon that it will be presenting an Accelerated Way Forward plan, also known as Way Forward 2.0 in the web savvy crowd, at 7 AM tomorrow. Assuming we get to bed on time and experience no alarm malfunctions, we'll be on hand to bring you the details as they come in. No doubt ...

Way Forward 2.0 today? 3 years ago on Autoblog

Now that Ford's got a new captain at the helm, it's full steam ahead for the "Way Forward." According to Reuters, Ford's board of directors will be instituting the second stage of its plan and is expected to release an overview of the strategy later today. Some of the proposals to be announced ...

Ford to shrink dealer network over three years 3 years ago on Autoblog

Reuters is reporting that Ford will be shrinking its dealer base over the next three years in order to better align its distribution network with a market share that is smaller than it has been in the past. Dealers were told of the planned reduction at the dealer meeting in Las Vegas last month. The ...

Ford's 'Way Forward': Part Deux 3 years ago on Autoblog

As the week begins, many industry analysts and insiders are confident that Ford will be making dramatic steps towards increasing their efficiency and productivity. The announcement last week that Bill Ford would be stepping down as CEO and passing the torch to Alan Mulally, was the first of many ...

Is Ford robbing Boeing's boardroom? 3 years ago on Autoblog

A Reuters article released today suggests that Ford's new CEO Alan Mulally could attract a whole group of defecting executives from Boeing Co., Mulally's previous employer. Apparently Mulally is a pretty good guy to work for, being described by Reuters as a charismatic leader with a loyal following ...

Bill Ford outlines 3-point plan to employees 3 years ago on Autoblog

In an effort to assuage the fear of his employees over the current direction of Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford sent out a company-wide memo on Friday that details a three-point strategy for ushering the Blue Oval out of hard times. The Detroit News describes the strategy in a nutshell as 1) fixing ...

BREAKING: Ford puts Aston Martin up for sale 3 years ago on Autoblog

You can stop wondering which brand in Ford's Premier Auto Group will be the first to go. It's Aston Martin. Though speculation had pointed to a possible sale of Jaguar and/or Land Rover, in a statement Ford indicates that Aston Martin makes the most sense because it has a completely separate dealer ...

BREAKING: Ford slashes production 3 years ago on Autoblog

As part of its accelerated "Way Forward" turnaround strategy, Ford Motor announced today that it will cut North American production by 21 percent (168,000 vehicles) in the fourth quarter of this year. Third quarter production will by cut by 20,000 units. The result will be a 9 percent reduction in ...

Mark Fields: Ford accelerating "Way Forward" plan 3 years ago on Autoblog

Nine new vehicles in next six months The North American automotive market has punished automakers whose products are out of step with rapidly changing consumer demands, and Ford Motor's Mark Fields (president, Americas) says his company gets the message. In a speech to industry executives ...

Ford's Way Forward: it's a long and winding road 3 years ago on Autoblog

As recent financial results have shown, reviving Ford Motor's North American operations is about more than just downsizing production capacity and increasing efficiency. Disappointing sales results are focusing the spotlight increasingly on Ford's promises of new, innovative products. Ford is in a ...

Ford losses won't change plans for suppliers 3 years ago on Autoblog

Ford Motor Company's recent $123 million second quarter loss may have the company scrambling to cut costs and otherwise speed up the Way Forward plan, but the company's suppliers shouldn't be too concerned. The company maintains that its efforts to streamline its supplier base will stay on track, ...

Ford to accelerate Way Forward Plan 3 years ago on Autoblog

Mark Fields – "If we have to move faster and cut deeper, we will." The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will accelerate its Way Forward Plan in light of the $123 million loss it posted for the second quarter, which was much larger than what analysts were expecting. Mark Fields, Ford's ...

Ford backs off on 250,000 hybrid promise 3 years ago on Autoblog

Bill Ford announced that his company is backing off on a promise he made last September to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles by 2010 in an email sent to company employees Wednesday. While many see the move as Ford reneging on his promise, the automaker is saying that it "intends to pursue a broader ...

Reality TV: Ford's "Bold Moves" documentary hits the web 3 years ago on Autoblog

Tuesday marks the launch of Ford Motor's "Bold Moves: The Future of Ford" online documentary series, which shows you "the inner workings of the automaker as it rebuilds its business in North America." Ford plans a new episode every week through the rest of the year, starting with the series ...

Ford changes forecast, expects 2006 global market share to drop 3 years ago on Autoblog

Ford Motor Co. isn't as optimistic as it was a few months ago. In a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company announced on Tuesday that it was lowering its worldwide market share prediction for 2006, saying it is likely market share will decline for the year. ...

Ford's Mark Fields happy with "Way Forward" progress 3 years ago on Autoblog

At the New York Auto Show Wednesday, Ford Motor's President of the Americas, Mark Fields, said "we're very pleased with our early progress" with the Way Forward plan - the company's roadmap for restoring its North American auto business to profitability by 2008. Saying that restructuring ...

Ford's 'Way Forward'? Not if the UAW has anything to say about it... 3 years ago on Autoblog

The verdict on Ford's second crack at a turnaround plan this decade are coming in fast and furious from all the usual suspects, including magazine editors, stockholders, armchair quarterbacks, and of course, the United Auto Workers. In fact, the UAW's response came as swiftly as ...






Autoblog Podcast #157: Mike Levine trucks along with us.

Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com joins Chris, Sam, and Dan this week and gets a chance to talk about cars, too! 

 
 

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