That's what its built for, its off road
Posted on 01/22/2006 7:19:36 PM PST by Flavius
Hurt by Falling Sales of SUVs, Ford Will Face Plant Closings and Thousands of Job Losses
DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co., hurt by falling sales of sport utility vehicles, is expected to close plants and cut thousands of jobs in North America as part of a restructuring program to be announced Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT Ford has refused to release details of the plan, dubbed the "Way Forward," which also is expected to include product changes and cuts to Ford's salaried ranks. Ford has about 87,000 hourly workers and 35,000 salaried workers in North America.
"It's going to be painful for some people," Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford said earlier this month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The assembly plants believed to be most at risk for closure are in St. Louis; St. Paul, Minn.; Atlanta; Wixom, Mich.; St. Thomas, Ontario; and Cuatitlan, Mexico. Those plants could be targeted because of their age, the products they make, their lack of flexibility or other factors.
States were scrambling to offer tax credits and other incentives to keep Ford from closing their facilities.
Earlier this month, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and other state officials flew to Ford's headquarters in Dearborn for a meeting with Ford executives. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she outlined a package of incentives to Ford last week. Granholm wouldn't disclose the details of the package and said she wasn't given any assurance that Michigan plants would be spared.
Ford is expected to report a worldwide profit for 2005 when it releases earnings Monday. But it lost more than $1.4 billion in its North American operations in the first nine months of last year.
The No. 2 U.S. automaker has been hurt by falling sales of its profitable sport utility vehicles, growing health care and materials costs and labor contracts that have limited its ability to close plants and cut jobs. The United Auto Workers union will have to agree to some of the changes Ford wants to make.
"We don't like to see any jobs go away," UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said last week. "We're always in hope that down the road we'll be able to reverse some of those decisions."
Ford also has seen its U.S. market share slide as a result of increasing competition from foreign rivals. The company suffered its tenth straight year of market share losses in the United States in 2005, and for the first time in 19 years, Ford lost its crown as America's best-selling brand to GM's Chevrolet. Ford sold about 2.9 million vehicles for a market share of 17.4 percent in 2005, down from 18.3 percent the year before and 24 percent in 1990.
The restructuring is Ford's second in four years. Under the first plan, Ford closed five plants and cut 35,000 jobs, but its North American operations failed to turn around.
Ford used just 79 percent of its North American plant capacity in 2005, down from 86 percent in 2004, according to preliminary numbers released last week by Harbour Consulting Inc., a firm that measures plant productivity. By contrast, rival Toyota Motor Corp. was operating at full capacity.
Ford Motor Co.: http://www.ford.com
stock up on parts
I own a Ford Ranger. It's a 94 model, I bought it with 97,000 miles on it for $4k and now it has 180,000 miles on it. It still drives great, and I haven't had a car payment for longer than I can remember. Ford would be idiots to do anything to cut Ranger production. Make a hybrid or something, put solar panels on the roof or a flower vase on the dash. Just keep it going. Volvo and Mercedes have nothing on the Ford Ranger except prestige.
Good idea. I'm not worried though. I'm married to fixer. He can convert and make anything work as long as he has duct tape, wire, a staple gun and elmers glue.
It is crucial for Ford to update the aging Ranger so that they're not pummeled by the Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, Mitsubishi Raider, and other small Japanese pickup trucks.
They need a redesign and should offer the smaller Ranger pickup with upscale Lariat options like leather, tubular running boards, satellite radio, captains chairs, etc., etc.
~ Blue Jays ~
Who in the world would drive a piece of s*** like that?
Maybe Ford should make them a little bit crappier? So I'd have to buy a new one eventually?
A little more upscale would not be a bad thing. Of course, style takes a distant back seat to reliability IMHO. I really could care less if my Ranger has a Gucci interior and GPS navigation. I just want to get to work and to the store, and not worry when muddy dogs jump in. Tis a beautiful thang ;) It just runs...and runs...
i like new mustang but what i understand is that they took the concept car and water it down to make mass produced model
to me it just seems to cheap, ive found modified versions, but at 45k they are to much
so instead im working on a 450hph at the wheel rice burner
for under 15k
Sorry, but I am one of the family members waiting for the Black Monday or Blue Monday to see if we are still employed. If we are lucky, the engineers in our family will still be employed. After 27 years, of outstanding performance reviews, given to Ford, I am hoping they will offer us early retirement. The son-in-law is working on the Hybrid Escape, so hopefully he will still be working. Pray for us all.
BULLEYE/BINGO!... :)
yes but do you see the quality of that truck in otherwords
would you take that outside the paved roads (i understand most people dont) or a junk thing like that whimpy ford that they turned into hybrid dont even want to look up the name
thanksman i usually get flamed on these threads
Personally, I'm fine with it.
Do we really need a nation of SUVs? They've become the mini-van of the 21st century, but at what cost? They are a nuisance on the road, the increased weight load is destroying our roads, and their effect on oil demand is costing this nation a lot of money.
This is simply economics shaking things out.
You sure don't have a clue about what you are talking about. Try learning how to type first.
"Especially the ones that pay $85,000/year for pulling the trigger on an air wrench. I want my dues money!!!!!!"
Was that a 450 bhp at the wheel rice burner? You must be using expensive rice.
Someone put a whole lot of fugly into that thing...
That's what its built for, its off road
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