Ford's NAIAS Sensation: Jobs

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: January 10th, 2011

Ford introduces something totally new and unexpected at NAIAS: Jobs! 7,000 of them. The Freep has it from “a person familiar with the planning.”

Don’t send in your resume yet. The openings will open this year and next. 1,800 are already spoken for: Ford’s Louisville plant, home of the Ford Escape SUV. Another 3,000 jobs will come by year’s end. The remaining jobs will be filled next year.

The plug-in hybrid and hybrid versions of the C-Max, and the battery-powered Focus turn into job machines. They will be built at Ford’s Wayne assembly plant. Ford will add a third shift there. That will add 1,200 jobs right there – in 2012.

#BertelSchmitt #Ford #Jobs

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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Stingray on Jan 10, 2011

Resume to be sent where?

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OldandSlow on Jan 10, 2011

The present Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute are assembled outside of Kansas City, MO. Louisville will assemble the next generation. Mazda's CX-5 may be coming from Japan. Ford sure has a lot on its plate, Interestingly, the C-Max and redesigned Escape utilize the same platform as the next Focus.

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- Robert.Walter on Jan 10, 2011
  
  This is the beauty and advantage of platform engineering done exceptionally well. Massive economies of scale: - development costs spread over a large number of vehicles; - high commonality in shared component sets and/or suppliers; - extreme differentiation of the 'top hat' upper body design; - flexible production facilities producing many variations off the basic platform being able to respond to market changes within that segment and being able to balance production to allow for higher utilization of the physical plant; - lower development costs and shorter time, allowing the same number of engineers (if the goal is growth) to produce many more (but seemingly unique) variations on the theme, or to be deployed to develop vehicles for other segments, and/or (if the goal is headcount reduction and savings) using fewer engineers to produce the same number of vehicles. This is the basis of a "virtuous cycle" of continuous improvement and sustainability in every aspect of the business.
  
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NormSV650 on Jan 10, 2011

There is got to be an Obummer incentive in there some where as people will be getting jobs just in time for 2012 Presidential Elevetions.

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Mandalorian on Jan 10, 2011

Imagine how many more could be created if they moved the vehicles produced in Mexico to the USA.

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- GhentForever on Jan 10, 2011
  
  Ford can't move Fiesta or Fusion production to the US because they wouldn't be making money, or in the case of Fiesta, even a loss if they aren't made in Mexico. Mexico has far lower labor cost. Ford makes way more money on crossover SUVs. That's why they stay in the US as long as they make significant profits.
  
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