Is Ford Finally Gaining on Foreign Competition?
We interrupt this tense time in automotive manufacturing to bring you a special message from Ford Motor Company. "Toyota. Honda. We're coming for you."
That's the word from Bennie Fowler, Ford Motor Company's Group Vice President for Global Quality. While his statement might seem a bit presumptuous, the car's reputation is on the rise, something clearly evident in recent articles such as this one in CNNMoney.com, touting Ford's resurgence in quality and customer satisfaction. Ford's goal is pretty clear: to be just as good as Toyota and Honda. According to recent reports, the manufacturer is making positive progress.
"There's no smoke and mirrors to this," says Fowler, who took over his new job a little more than a month ago, after a five-year stint as Ford VP of Advanced and Manufacturing Engineering. "If you give people vehicles that perform at the expectations they require, they're going to believe in your product. There's no magic formula (to regaining consumer's trust). It's really very simple."
Since Ford announced its highly publicized Turnaround Plan a few years ago, they've streamlined things with plant closings, lay-offs, buyouts and shifts in power at the company's highest levels.
Lately, Ford has been basking in the glow of a relatively prosperous first quarter, in which the company turned a $100 million profit. This is considered small by manufacturing company standards, but huge for a company who just a few short years ago was in a fight for its life. Even more recently, Ford has received a major endorsement for its resurgence when Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian upped his shares in the company to 5.6 percent, causing a jolt among other investors as the price of Ford stock shot up.
At the root of this comeback story is Fowler. "Build a quality vehicle that's environmentally friendly, that's got to be a priority," said Fowler, who reports directly to Ford CEO, Alan Mullaly.
Retail sales for the company's crossovers are 11 percent higher than a year ago, elevated by the Edge, up 24 percent, and the Escape, up 13 percent. Retail sales for the Mercury Mariner were up 6 percent and Lincoln MKX sales were up 4 percent, as recently reported in Reliable Plant Magazine.
Fowler is aware of the perception that American-made autos aren't as good as those built by Honda and Toyota. But he also knows there's one sure-fire way to reverse that thought process; "Give people a vehicle that's environmentally friendly and gets better fuel economy, too," he said.
Bingo! He just hit on the magic word of the decade: Green. Not only are the world's automakers faced with building quality vehicles, but now, with skyrocketing fuel prices cramping the pockets of consumers, those vehicles have to be economy-minded too. Ford, like other auto manufacturers, is acutely aware of this and has hit the challenge head-on.
"The key priority is fuel," said John Viera, Ford's Director of Sustainable Business Strategies. While Fowler has the daunting task of assuring the public that Ford vehicles are as good as any in the world, it's Viera's job to ensure those vehicles are both economically and ecologically friendly.
"I spend most of my time on fuel," he said. "Ford is getting back to its roots of providing affordable transportation to the masses."
While the Escape and Mariner are the company's flag-bearing gas-electric hybrids, it isn't the only eco-friendly subject on Viera's plate; "Higher tech gasoline engines that we can produce in volume are also a priority," he said. "We're working on an eco-boost engine, too, that we hope to produce 500,000 of in the next five years."
"We're working on engines that are more gasoline-friendly and battery technology, too ... a number of things we know are what the public wants," said Viera. "We're committed to giving them exactly what they want."
That's Fowler's plan as well; to give people exactly what they want and dispel the perception that Ford vehicles are somehow inferior to other brands. "That's where our 'Ford. Drive One' Campaign comes in," said Fowler, in reference to their new marketing campaign. The campaign is a direct descendent of the former "Have You Driven a Ford Lately" slogan, that challenged buyers to take a Ford out for a spin before passing judgment on the product.
In terms of the new marketing and sales performance, "We know we're on the right track." says Fowler. Translation: Toyota, Honda, look in your rear view mirrors. That blue blur gaining on you is a Ford.
Published on Monday, May 12, 2008 - Email to a friend
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