Ford Market News

[Jamaican Bulldog]

Ford not only contradicts itself but also is a reflection of the BS at Ford. It says the that due to slump in demand they will idle output, however it also says the sales are up this year.

Where the bullshit comes in, like the Fusion they have not been scheduling Transits we have on order, so what slump in orders??? It is almost impossible to get built the biggest version, the high roof extended length especially with dual wheels. I ordered one for a customer in February and up till early July it was not delivered. The customer desperately needed it for an event, so we had to fly someone to VA from NY for one we bought from a dealer there. We hardly made any profit but wanted to supply the customer as promised.

We are having difficulty getting the popular medium roof model scheduled. Ford keeps straining relationships between dealers and customers because the factory often can't keep commitments and the dealers are put in the position of losing money to keep customers happy. Ford also makes us out to be liars because it will say ok if you order this you will have in 3 months which we tell the customer. 5 months later no vehicle. Who takes the heat?

Then the dealer loses money from Ford because the unhappy customer gave the dealer a bad survey for the late vehicle. If automakers really want to know the truth  so they can serve customers better and make more profits they would ask questions on the survey about the product and the company, but the truth hurts. Instead  screw the salesman and dealer by asking ridiculous  questions a only compensate if the customer is completely satisfied with dealer and salesman. Very satisfied does not count, you will lose money.

Meanwhile Sprinter is adjusting for more output and offering more options customer want.

[Maxidyne]

Sounds like Ford is setting up the sedans and vans to fail. Reminds me of a couple years back when I was looking at Transit Connects, the dealers were loaded with cargo van versions but when I finally found a passenger van to look at it sold within an hour of coming off the transport. Kind of ridiculous when you consider that the yship them over here with cheap plastic seats to get around the chicken tax and then strip them out to make a cargo van!

[Red Horse]

2 hours ago, Jamaican Bulldog said:

Ford not only contradicts itself but also is a reflection of the BS at Ford. It says the that due to slump in demand they will idle output, however it also says the sales are up this year.

Where the bullshit comes in, like the Fusion they have not been scheduling Transits we have on order, so what slump in orders??? It is almost impossible to get built the biggest version, the high roof extended length especially with dual wheels. I ordered one for a customer in February and up till early July it was not delivered. The customer desperately needed it for an event, so we had to fly someone to VA from NY for one we bought from a dealer there. We hardly made any profit but wanted to supply the customer as promised.

We are having difficulty getting the popular medium roof model scheduled. Ford keeps straining relationships between dealers and customers because the factory often can't keep commitments and the dealers are put in the position of losing money to keep customers happy. Ford also makes us out to be liars because it will say ok if you order this you will have in 3 months which we tell the customer. 5 months later no vehicle. Who takes the heat?

Then the dealer loses money from Ford because the unhappy customer gave the dealer a bad survey for the late vehicle. If automakers really want to know the truth  so they can serve customers better and make more profits they would ask questions on the survey about the product and the company, but the truth hurts. Instead  screw the salesman and dealer by asking ridiculous  questions a only compensate if the customer is completely satisfied with dealer and salesman. Very satisfied does not count, you will lose money.

Meanwhile Sprinter is adjusting for more output and offering more options customer want.

So could the problem be unavailability of certain outsourced components?  Makes no sense when the dealer network is stretched out on lead times.

[Maxidyne]

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2018/10/ford-redesigning-company-structure-salaried-job-cuts-coming-in-19/

So what did they need all that new office space in the railroad station for?

[Jamaican Bulldog]

19 hours ago, Red Horse said:

So could the problem be unavailability of certain outsourced components?  Makes no sense when the dealer network is stretched out on lead times.

Personally I think it may have something to do with the longstanding problems they have had getting vans to us after production. These vans sit for weeks at a time at before they get to dealers. Because of their height they often  can only fit on  trucks that can only carry 2 or 3 at a time not a regular car carrier. Nearly 4 yrs after the van came out they still have logistically problems to ship them. Maybe  the backlog on storage means they want to cut production because they have not where to park them. If that is the case, that would be a better excuse than the publicity of cutting production and laying off people

Edited October 5, 2018 by Jamaican Bulldog

[kscarbel2]

Ford to slash jobs as it reorganizes salaried workforce

The Wall Street Journal  /  October 5, 2018

Ford Motor Co. has informed its global salaried workforce of a planned reorganization that will cut jobs, part of Chief Executive Jim Hackett’s broader plan to squeeze costs and improve efficiencies at the struggling auto maker.

Ford said Friday that it is in the “early stages of reorganizing our global salaried workforce,” though it declined to disclose how many people it may let go. The No. 2 U.S. auto maker by sales employs about 70,000 salaried workers world-wide, a spokeswoman said.

The planned cuts should be decided by the second quarter of 2019. It reflects Hackett’s “desire to have an organization that is moving faster, and part of that comes from having a flatter” management structure, she said.

Ford said the reorganization “will result in head count reduction over time and this will vary based on team and location.” The company told employees of the plan Thursday.

[Jamaican Bulldog]

14 minutes ago, Maxidyne said:

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2018/10/ford-redesigning-company-structure-salaried-job-cuts-coming-in-19/

So what did they need all that new office space in the railroad station for?

Exactly, $90 million  for what when they allegedly are trying to cut costs. If they want to cut costs, start with the high failure parts that cost a lot in warranty claims such as the trouble some double clutch they kept for years in the Focus and Fiesta and the PTU they still put in some SUVs. You would think if you keep having to replace a part it needs to be redesigned. Avoiding that is  poor quality control.

[kscarbel2]

Ford poised to begin cuts to salaried work force

Michael Martinez, Automotive News  /  October 5, 2018

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is preparing to cut an undetermined number of its 70,000 salaried workers globally as it implements CEO Jim Hackett's US$11 billion companywide restructuring.

The automaker on Thursday began informing employees internally that it was reorganizing its salaried work force, but said more details, including which jobs will be axed and where, will be disclosed over the coming months.

"It's really about redesigning the business," Ford spokeswoman Karen Hampton said. "An outcome of that is that there's likely to be reductions. The real purpose is to change the way we work."

Hampton said Ford's salaried work force reductions will be complete by the second quarter of 2019.

We are in the early stages of reorganizing our global salaried workforce to support the company’s strategic objectives, create a more dynamic and empowering work environment, and become more fit as a business," Ford Canada spokesman Matthew Drennan-Scace said in an email to Automotive News Canada. "We will announce more specifics at the appropriate time."

Hackett this year announced the need for a global restructuring to help it turn around underperforming regions and improve profits in North America.

Separately, Ford this year upped its five-year cost-cutting goal to US$25.5 billion, US$11.5 billion more than it originally forecast.

Ford at the time said nearly half of the cuts would be in sales and marketing -- through incentive optimization, reduced advertising and other actions -- with the rest coming from engineering and product development, material costs, manufacturing and information technology, in that order.

Outside Ford, and among some within it, there is mounting impatience with Ford shares trading just above US$9 and the vagueness of the vision that Hackett has articulated thus far.

Ford shares fell 0.33 percent to close Friday at US$9.12. 

"We're addressing some long-term issues, and we're going to do those in very thoughtful and orderly ways -- not chaotic ways," Hackett said in an interview with Automotive News last month. "We're not in a crisis. The company's in great shape."

[Red Horse]

Sad fact, who will be the first to go?  The senior people-as in "senior" in years of service which also means experience.  Have some of these people been "sandbagging" for years?   I'm sure there are some in that category who managed to survive.  Good riddance.  But unfortunately I would bet a lot of talent will take their "deal" and walk out the door.

And as others have pointed out- manpower reductions when a lot of money is being spent on "brick and mortar"-or should I say "old brick and mortar" that will cost a small fortune to make safe and functional.  

I'm sure Hackett is counting on this "bold move" to boost his standing with the financial press.  Manpower reductions are always greeted with praise.  The good news is sales and marketing appear to be no 1. on the list. Perhaps the genius that was writing the script for medium duty that featured ..."750 tractor package for towing" will be on the list.

Then again, as JB noted in a post- - high roof Transits sit for weeks because proper trailers aren't available?  Give me a break, you build the product, then it sits before your dealer and his customer gets it-and Ford?  When does dealer pay? when it hits his lot?- a simple problem.."Mr carrier-if you want our business you need to get some new drop frame 53' trailers-in a hurry if you want this business" 

Now in defense of Hackett, if he truly is flattening the org chart, and if he truly will empower people to act, good moves-if only he was someone who truly understands the business-as in automotive business. So far IMO he hasn't proven that-unless you believe we truly want to give up driving our own vehicles-in spite of what Silicon Valley says.

 

 

[Jamaican Bulldog]

17 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

I'm sure Hackett is counting on this "bold move" to boost his standing with the financial press.  Manpower reductions are always greeted with praise.  The good news is sales and marketing appear to be no 1. on the list. Perhaps the genius that was writing the script for medium duty that featured ..."750 tractor package for towing" will be on the list.

Then again, as JB noted in a post- - high roof Transits sit for weeks because proper trailers aren't available?  Give me a break, you build the product, then it sits before your dealer and his customer gets it-and Ford?  When does dealer pay? when it hits his lot?- a simple problem.."Mr carrier-if you want our business you need to get some new drop frame 53' trailers-in a hurry if you want this business" 

Now in defense of Hackett, if he truly is flattening the org chart, and if he truly will empower people to act, good moves-if only he was someone who truly understands the business-as in automotive business. So far IMO he hasn't proven that-unless you believe we truly want to give up driving our own vehicles-in spite of what Silicon Valley says.

Rumor is that they went with low bid for transportation and it shows why those bids were low. Also they offered dealers the option to go pickup vans at the plant however they would not waive the often $1000 or more  per vehicle destination and delivery charge if we took that option. We think that if they offered to waive that charge or reimbursed  if dealers arranged pick up, many dealers would do so especially dealers close to plant. Even for us in NY we could probably arrange especially if we pooled with dealers in close proximities to have the vans trucked to us for cheaper than the destination charge on Ford's invoice.

Hackett seems to have a serious elitist ego problem. He insinuates that his plans are just so brilliant that people can't see it or figure it out. His 28 yr old staff member often conducts meetings with executives and have to explain with charts after to them what he meant to say. If a CEO vision is so vague and ambiquous that a staffer has to translate it, thats a problem.

 

[Red Horse]

1 hour ago, Jamaican Bulldog said:

Rumor is that they went with low bid for transportation and it shows why those bids were low. Also they offered dealers the option to go pickup vans at the plant however they would not waive the often $1000 or more  per vehicle destination and delivery charge if we took that option. We think that if they offered to waive that charge or reimbursed  if dealers arranged pick up, many dealers would do so especially dealers close to plant. Even for us in NY we could probably arrange especially if we pooled with dealers in close proximities to have the vans trucked to us for cheaper than the destination charge on Ford's invoice.

Hackett seems to have a serious elitist ego problem. He insinuates that his plans are just so brilliant that people can't see it or figure it out. His 28 yr old staff member often conducts meetings with executives and have to explain with charts after to them what he meant to say. If a CEO vision is so vague and ambiquous that a staffer has to translate it, thats a problem.

 

Well shows you they are dumb as rocks. You would think a bid package would be specific in terms of equipment, guaranteed transit times to various zones etc.

And as for them not waiving a destination charge when you go pick it up-out of absolute frustration, absolute bullshit.  I'm surprised your dealer organization puts up with this stuff.

 As I've said before, Hackett is billed as a "cerebral thinker".  That says to me not an ounce of common sense.  I've heard before about this staff member who "translates".  Scary huh when the guy at the top can't relate to his staff!

[kscarbel2]

Inside VW-Ford commercial truck partnership

Automotive News  /  October 8. 2018

Thomas Sedran, a former corporate consultant with AlixPartners, was the brains behind Volkswagen Group's Together – Strategy 2025 midterm road map. VW's former CEO, Matthias Müller, appointed Sedran head of group strategy in November 2015 to plot a course toward an electrified future after the automaker's diesel-cheating scandal.

Sedran switched jobs last month, returning to an executive role, where he will run Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. This will put him in an ideal position to realize the goals he mapped out when he began talks with Ford Motor Co. over a strategic alliance rooted in the two companies' commercial vehicle businesses.

He is no stranger to the executive suite, having been interim CEO of Opel and later head of Chevrolet Europe. Sedran, who turns 54 this week, spoke with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Christiaan Hetzner.

Q:Why did Volkswagen partner with Ford?

A:Other companies are already in alliances, but now the two market leaders in Europe are joining forces. We won't have a dominant market position, however, as we each have only 15 percent.

How were the initial talks?

We realized fairly fast it worked from a cultural perspective, and there was the right chemistry between the main players.

Did you consider other candidates?

Ford was a logical partner. The product life cycles are a good match. We will build for them, and they will build for us.

Could this extend from light commercial vehicles into passenger cars, or does VW already have the scale it needs?

On the passenger-car side, neither company really has the volume pressure. But there are, naturally, fields where splitting the development costs could be an advantage. I wouldn't rule out anything, but the focus is getting the LCV projects running. We want a concrete project vehicle that has a certain volume, and then you can talk about other strategic issues.

VW Group is nearly twice the size of Ford. What is the risk that the two teams will struggle to get along with such a size discrepancy?

When we finalize this alliance, you can be assured it will be balanced. There is no junior nor senior partner, but, rather, two companies at eye level that will closely cooperate with one another. There might be specific years where there will be a difference in production volumes, but in the sum total, it is very balanced.

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[kscarbel2]

Ford shares drop below $9 for the first time since 2012

Keith Naughton, Bloomberg  /  October 9, 2018

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. shares are taking a pounding as the automaker adopts a piecemeal approach to outlining cost cuts that are part of a years-long and costly restructuring.

Ford shares fell 3.35 percent, or 31 cents, to close at $8.95 on Tuesday and dropped below $9 for the first time since August 2012.

Ford said Monday that it’ll shake up its global marketing operations, in part by transferring advertising business away from longtime partner WPP Plc, but the automaker is expecting to save just $150 million annually. That pales in comparison to the $11 billion in charges that Ford has warned its restructuring could lead to over the next three to five years.

While the automaker told its 70,000 salaried employees last week that they face unspecified job cuts, Ford didn’t quantify how big it anticipates the reduction will be. The company also didn’t address whether it planned involuntary separations or estimate the financial impact.

Moody’s Investor Service cut Ford’s credit rating in August to one notch above junk on concerns about executing its overhaul. Ford is facing headwinds including cratering demand for sedans in North America -- a segment that it’s exiting -- costlier emissions rules in Europe and a stale product line in Asia.

CEO Jim Hackett also told Bloomberg News last month that President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported metals will cost Ford about $1 billion in profit.

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[kscarbel2]

Ford starts production of Transit-based electric van in Germany

Edward Taylor, Reuters  /  October 10, 2018

FRANKFURT -- Ford has started production of an electric delivery van in Germany using technology provided by Deutsche Post startup StreetScooter.

The StreetScooter WORK XL is based on Ford's large Transit van built [at Ford-Otosan] in Turkey. It is equipped with a battery-electric drivetrain and body designed with the help of StreetScooter.

Annual production capacity will reach 3,500 vehicles, which will be built at Ford Europe's headquarters in Cologne. The vans will initially be supplied to its DHL Group but will also be offered to third-party customers.

In a news release Ford said it will build the the van with a range of electric motors and lithium ion batteries, delivering up to 90 kilowatts of power (122 hp) and a maximum torque of 276 Newton meters.

With a battery capacity of up to 76 kilowatt-hours, the WORK XL has a range of up to 200 km (124 miles), Ford said.

Advances in manufacturing software have allowed Deutsche Post to tap suppliers to design, engineer and test new vehicle concepts without hiring thousands of engineering staff or investing billions in tooling and factories.

StreetScooter will continue to manufacture smaller vans.

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[Red Horse]

Hmnn- Ever wonder about just how trustworthy VW is.?  Look at the "dieselgate" issue.  For sure this was not unknown to top management correct?  Wouldn't this be a good example of ingrained corporate culture? I know it is not fair to stereotype anyone or a company for an isolated incident but talk about "balls"!  To think they felt they could get away with this-pure arrogance IMO.  

And FCA had their own "dieselgate" but I don't think it was not as blatant as the VW thing and I don't think the approval came from the highest level as it did with VW. (How about it KSC-was it at the same level?)

I'm waiting for Hackett to borrow a line from Chamberlain..."I have secured peace for our time-er no make that a fair partnership for our time".

[kscarbel2]

25 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

Hmnn- Ever wonder about just how trustworthy VW is.?  Look at the "dieselgate" issue.  For sure this was not unknown to top management correct?  Wouldn't this be a good example of ingrained corporate culture? I know it is not fair to stereotype anyone or a company for an isolated incident but talk about "balls"!  To think they felt they could get away with this-pure arrogance IMO.  

And FCA had their own "dieselgate" but I don't think it was not as blatant as the VW thing and I don't think the approval came from the highest level as it did with VW. (How about it KSC-was it at the same level?)

I'm waiting for Hackett to borrow a line from Chamberlain..."I have secured peace for our time-er no make that a fair partnership for our time".

Volkswagen can't be trusted at all. It mysteriously remains under the control of the Porsche and Piech families, who owe all their wealth to Hitler. Ferry Porsche and Anton Piech were close friends of Hitler, and honorary members of the SS. Within Germany's deep state, these two clans remain incredibly powerful, and unlike BMW have never renounced their ties to the Third Reich.

Of course Henry Ford was very close friends with Hitler as well. Hitler kept a photograph of Henry Ford on his office desk. Ford received Hitler's "Grand Cross of the German Eagle" in 1938.

Ford is the only American mentioned favorably in Mein Kampf, although he is only mentioned twice:^[62] Adolf Hitler wrote, "only a single great man, Ford, [who], to [the Jews'] fury, still maintains full independence...[from] the controlling masters of the producers in a nation of one hundred and twenty millions." Speaking in 1931 to a Detroit News reporter, Hitler said he regarded Ford as his "inspiration", explaining his reason for keeping Ford's life-size portrait next to his desk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford

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[david wild]

Neither has Clinton

[james j neiweem]

Perhaps Ford is paying for the sins of Henry with the Nazis during WW2.

Edited October 10, 2018 by james j neiweem

[m16ty]

14 hours ago, kscarbel2 said:

 

Of course Henry Ford was very close friends with Hitler as well. Hitler kept a photograph of Henry Ford on his office desk. Ford received Hitler's "Grand Cross of the German Eagle" in 1938.

Ford is the only American mentioned favorably in Mein Kampf, although he is only mentioned twice:^[62] Adolf Hitler wrote, "only a single great man, Ford, [who], to [the Jews'] fury, still maintains full independence...[from] the controlling masters of the producers in a nation of one hundred and twenty millions." Speaking in 1931 to a Detroit News reporter, Hitler said he regarded Ford as his "inspiration", explaining his reason for keeping Ford's life-size portrait next to his desk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford

.

Ford must have changed his tune, or at least didn't mind reaping profits of Hitler's defeat. Ford was heavily involved in the war effort, being the major supplier of Jeeps, among other things.

 

[kscarbel2]

6 hours ago, m16ty said:

Ford must have changed his tune, or at least didn't mind reaping profits of Hitler's defeat. Ford was heavily involved in the war effort, being the major supplier of Jeeps, among other things.

Yes, Ford was heavily involved in the war effort......on both sides. Ford-Werke AG produced thousands of trucks and half-tracks for Hitler's military.

[Red Horse]

8 hours ago, m16ty said:

Ford must have changed his tune, or at least didn't mind reaping profits of Hitler's defeat. Ford was heavily involved in the war effort, being the major supplier of Jeeps, among other things.

 

How about B-24's.  I believe Willow Run pushed one of these 4 engine bombers out the door every 59 minutes!

[kscarbel2]

14 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

How about B-24's.  I believe Willow Run pushed one of these 4 engine bombers out the door every 59 minutes!

I never liked the B-24. It had a greater payload than the B-17, but proved to have more issues. An example of what can go wrong when a plane is hastily designed in wartime.

.

 

[kscarbel2]

The tension rises at Ford

Michael Martinez, Automotive News  /  October 15, 2018

Dealers wonder: Where's the company headed?

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. says it has a plan under CEO Jim Hackett to improve the automaker's profitability and competitiveness. But Ford has had a tough time getting others to understand and gain confidence in the early stages of Hackett's companywide restructuring.

Investors pushed shares of the company below $9 last week to their lowest closing price since 2009, when most of the company's assets were in hock and the industry was only starting to recover from the recession. Dealers hope to finally hear more concrete details at a meeting this week that will be Hackett's first time addressing the company's broad retail network in person.

"There's been a lot less exposure to senior management," said Jack Madden, owner of Jack Madden Ford in Norwood, Mass. "There's just not enough information flowing down to dealers about where the company's headed."

Meanwhile, more turmoil is creeping into the company's ranks after Hackett told Ford's 70,000 salaried workers around the world that the $11 billion restructuring will include job cuts, while giving no specifics on numbers and only a vague idea of how or when. Ford is calling changes to its employment structure an "organizational redesign" and says it could take months to complete.

Hackett is no stranger to layoffs — he axed thousands of employees at his former company, Steelcase, including the best man from his wedding — but stretching out the process, instead of announcing the cuts all at once, threatens to sink morale and create an uneasy, disillusioned work force, experts say.

"The approach they've taken can create a lot of anxiety and stress for their employees, particularly heading into the holiday season," Chris Zatzick, an associate professor of management and organization studies at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, told Automotive News. "To have that uncertainty and not know what's going to happen in the new year can be quite impactful and can potentially lead to employees looking for other jobs or withholding effort."

Ford argues the approach gives managers throughout the company more power to shape their departments, flatten command chains and cut out bureaucracy. They wanted to get ahead of potential rumors that would arise when workers would see their team leaders pulled into meetings — which they call "design sessions" — with higher-ups.

"It's really about redesigning the business," Ford spokeswoman Karen Hampton told Automotive News this month. "An outcome of that is that there's likely to be reductions. The real purpose is to change the way we work."

Paring back its salaried ranks is the latest shake-up under Hackett, who replaced Mark Fields in May 2017.

Hackett seeks to drastically change the way the 115-year-old automaker is run, developing new vehicle architectures, redesigning its product lineups and shortening its order-to-delivery process. Its North American product team, for example, has taken over the 11th floor of Ford headquarters for weekly, daylong meetings examining the profitability of each nameplate one by one.

And last week, Ford announced a seismic shift to its advertising strategy, saying that BBDO would replace WPP as its lead creative agency. WPP, which has worked with the automaker since Henry Ford was president 75 years ago, will retain some work as part of a new multiagency model.

None of the moves have impressed Wall Street. Investors have raised concern over Ford's financial outlook since the automaker in July cut its full-year profit forecast and canceled an annual investor day because it didn't have enough details to share.

Looking for direction

Ford communicated the impending cuts to salaried employees through a video message that was met with confusion by some who struggled to understand its meaning. Ford insists the message was not about job cuts and said employees have appreciated the way it is handling the news.

"In Ford's history, we have streamlined organizations but we rarely removed work, causing each team member to have to do more with less," Hackett said in the video, according to a transcript Ford provided. He told employees the upcoming changes would be made using "a cascading process that will involve many of you" and that they will work to eliminate "low-value" tasks.

"While redesigning the organization is important and it's necessary work, it's not going to be easy," he said. "But it is fundamental to us becoming the business we need to be."

Denise Giraudo, a partner in law firm Sheppard Mullin's labor and employment practice group, said more employers are starting to communicate impending job cuts earlier in the process.

"We tend to tell our clients more notice is better," Giraudo said. "It does put the employees in limbo, but it also allows them to prepare for a possible layoff, look for different positions and prepare themselves monetarily."

The announcement is a departure from how Ford and Hackett have handled similar actions.

While CEO of Steelcase, Hackett eliminated around 12,000 jobs as the company transformed from a traditional furniture maker to embracing new open-office designs. He was known for personally meeting with affected employees and helping them get back on their feet.

During Fields' last week as CEO in 2017, Ford said it would ax 1,400 salaried employees in North America and Asia through voluntary early retirement and special separation packages. It provided details into what departments would receive the buyouts and said decisions would be made within four months.

Although the latest changes are likely necessary, the manner in which Ford notified employees could damage morale, according to Carol Olsby, a human-resources consultant and author.

"In an absence of any information, it's stressful," she said, noting the news could have a significant ripple effect on Ford's supply chain and the communities where its workers live. "People are going to be looking for more direction from the company."

‘The right medicine'

Ford's dealer network also is eager for more direction from Hackett. He and his team will answer their questions this week at Ford's national dealer meeting in Las Vegas.

The company expects 4,000 to 5,000 dealers and dealership employees to attend. Over 28 hours, they'll hear from executives; see new products, including the next-generation Escape and Explorer; preview accessories for upcoming off-road utilities; and get to drive or ride in vehicles such as the upcoming Ranger midsize pickup and the GT supercar at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Retailers will hear about Ford's sales strategy for its newest products. And they'll get the first glimpse of an advertising campaign debuting in the fourth quarter that's expected to use the slogan "Ford Proud."

"It's the right medicine at the right time," Rhett Ricart, CEO of Ricart Automotive Group in Groveport, Ohio, and a Ford dealer council member, said. "I think it will be a huge jolt for dealers' attitudes."

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[kscarbel2]

Bill Ford cancels visit to Saudi investor conference

Reuters  /  October 14, 2018

Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford canceled a multi-stop trip to the Middle East, including a planned appearance at a Saudi investment conference this month, the company said on Sunday, the latest such cancellation after the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,

The company did not elaborate on the reasons for Ford’s decision not to attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, and did not comment on whether concerns about the disappearance of Khashoggi were a factor.

[RoadwayR]

Rumors are swirling that the F-650 and 750 will be axed in 2020, but Ford officially states they remain committed to medium duty.