Jason Williams

Mr. Maslonka
Eng. 101 1N
13 Oct 2014
History and future of The Ford Industry
When one thinks of vehicles one of the popular names that comes to mind is the Ford
automotive company. The Ford automobile industry is one of the first automotive industries in
the United States. This is the where the Ford company started the trails up to this point and
where the company seems to be heading in the future. The automobile was created by Charles
and Frank Duryea in 1892, which started a new line of industry. In 1896, the first ever Ford
automobile was assembled, which was the start of the great company we see today. From the
start to where we are now was a long journey. The transition into the future of the company will
be an even longer one.

The Ford industry was founded by Henry Ford Back in 1896 with the first Ford
automobile. However, the company did not start mass production of vehicles until Oct. 7th,
1913, (Hirsch, Jerry 2013). At this time, Ford rigged a rope to pull Model T chassis across the
factory floor to speed assembly of the car (Hirsch). This paved the way for the modernized
assembly lines that are used today though todays methods are far more advanced than they
were back in 1913. Then in 1926: A 40-hour workweek is introduced by Ford to check
overproduction and limit unemployment (Hirsch). This was major to not only the company but to
the work force of the United States. A great majority of companies use the 40 hours a week
work force that Ford introduced. The company has undergone many changes since Henry Ford
created the company, and was able to reach the vision that he had when it was created.

Now Ford is one of the biggest companies on the market, though due to the economy
drop Ford is currently going through a rough patch. William C. Ford Jr., the chairman and chief
executive, said ''difficult business conditions make it harder to achieve the goals we set for
ourselves in many areas, including corporate citizenship.'' ''But that doesn't mean we will
abandon our goals or change our direction,'' Mr. Ford said.(Hakim, Danny). As the CEO William
C, Ford Jr had said though times are rough they will still push forward and try to better the
company and advance through this difficult time. One of the biggest problems that the Ford
Company is facing right now is with the environmentalists. They once had a good relationship
with them, though due to the increased sales of their S.U.V. line that relationship is dwindling.
Carl Pope, the executive director of the Sierra Club, said in a statement that ''this report takes a
giant step in the wrong direction for Ford Motor Company, for American consumers and for the
environment.''(Hakim). Though these are difficult times, Ford continues to press forward and is
very cautious in the routes that they are traveling. Mr. Massie phrases, ''This is a company with
one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake. Ford is going through hard times at this
point, yet their CEOs are still looking towards the future goals of the company, and doing what
is necessary to get to those goals.

Ford has big plans for the future as well. Though at this point in time, Fords main seller
is the S.U.V. they foresee a spike in the sales of their compact cars that they have on the
market. The CEO sees future growth from the growing acceptance of compact cars (Kasturi
and sons). the President and CEO of Ford Motor Company referred to a shift in customer and
regional trends which meant small vehicles would play a larger role in the company's product
portfolio. Global models like the Fiesta, Focus and Eco Sport, as well as regional nameplates
such as the Figo, Ka and Escort, would comprise a greater percentage of Ford's
sales.(Kasturi). They have also decided to expand their global sales in hopes to increase sales

from the company by 2020. Ford's 2020 vision includes plans to increase global vehicle sales
by 45 to 55 per cent to approximately 9.4 million units. Our long-term plan underscores the
commitment we have to our One Ford plan, while accelerating our pace of progress, delivering
product excellence and driving innovation in all areas of our business," said Fields. (Kasturi).
Their plans to increase the number of cars in which they have on the market means higher
sales and growth rates for the company as well. A spokesperson says In 2015, Ford will
continue its strong product push with 16 vehicle launches across the world.(Kasturi). The future
for the Ford industry is a bright one and we can all hope that they keep with the goals, and can
keep making the great vehicles that we have today, and the greater ones they have planned for
the future.

In conclusion, the future of the Ford Company looks bright. They had a good start with
their company over 100 years ago and they are still going strong today. The Ford automobile
industry helped to pave the way for most of the automotive companies and how they do things
today. They will hopefully continue to be the leader in the automotive industry, and grow to be
an even bigger success then what they are today.

Work cited

1. Hirsch, Jerry. "At Ford, Assembly Line Still Evolving." Los Angeles TimesOct 08
2013. ProQuest. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
2. "Small Vehicles to Drive Ford's Vision 2020." BusinesslineOct 10 2014. ProQuest.
Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
3. Hakim, Danny. "Ford Stresses Business, but Disappoints Environmentalists." New
York Times, Late Edition (East Coast) ed.: 0. Aug 20 2002. ProQuest. Web. 13 Oct.
2014.
4. "Centennial Edition -- 100 Years of Business --- A Centennial View: Dow Jones
Industrial Average -- Events that Helped Shape the Century." Wall Street Journal,
Eastern edition ed.: 1. Jun 23 1989. ProQuest. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.