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OSHA, EPA, EEOC, FTA, DOT, NTSB, DOE, IRS, SEC, and I am just starting. Then replicate these petty tyrants at the state level. Now let’s layer on the free industrialized world’s most oppressive tax scheme and lawsuit happy legal system. The only wonder is why anybody makes anything here.
If you have never owned or ran a substantial business then you have no idea.

Do not blame Ford, Mexico, or China. If we had a modicum of free enterprise and a rational tax and regulatory regime the US would dominate the world and have jobs enough for all willing workers.

Having been in "second tier" management (design, engineering, production engineering, "chief engineer", procurement and sourcing, production management, etc.) at a modest size company (300+ employees at one point), I have "a pretty good idea".

That said, I think my old employer would still exist, today, though probably in a smaller "niche", if they had planned better & been more aggressive. (Even good products need good marketing, these days.) OTOH... In the environment you or I would provide, they might be clicking along with over 400 employees, today.

Now, regarding Ford, I do not completely absolve Ford -- see my post above. Their long term planning and product execution often stinks too, IMO. So, partially through their own fault, and even more due to the factors you cite, they are in a tough spot.

There seems to be an implied criticism of Trump in all this, but he HAS addressed the points you bring up: Over-regulation, tort reform, and taxation. A problem in that, however, is that even with a Trump win and Republican control of a Congress willing to follow his lead, it will take years to undo the damage. (For example, as we saw with Reagan's tax cuts, it takes time for real economic gains to follow.) In the case of, say, Ford, it would also take years to retool production, and even then, does Ford "trust" that Trump might not be out in 4 years, and draconian regs not be put back into place? (Major body changes are not too bad, but major drivetrain changes are a different matter.)

Then there is the urgency of addressing the jobs and debt situations in a big way, and fast: Again as with Reagan, the first couple years are likely to be rocky. Trump will have to hold together popular and Congressional support, first through the mid-term elections (or he will be totally hamstrung). Then he (or Pence) have to be showing solid economic gains to win again in 2020, both the Presidency and Congress, which in turn is crucial to keeping the economic momentum going for long.

For my own part, and to overcome the above, I think Trump has to do the "carrot and stick" routine, and effectively tie it all together. Ie., he should very publicly say to manufacturers like Ford, something along the lines of: "Now look: We are going to make it possible for you to again manufacture here profitably, mainly by getting out of the way. In return, your job is to be supportive of these efforts, and not bleeping jump the ship, even if the transition years are rocky. If you still do jump ship, we will make life as difficult for you as we can."

This is not pure conservatism, I will concede. But IMO (and I was there starting my own company at the time) we are in a considerably more difficult economic situation than Reagan faced in 1980, and nothing less will work fast and cohesively enough to succeed.