Bill Ford Quotes (46 Quotes)

Lots of stuff that made this company great started off as something that wasn't in the budget.

These plant and benefit actions, while painful for our employees, are necessary as we confront a serious situation, ... More tough decisions will follow in the months to come.

Nobody's irreplaceable, including me. I think for too long we've had a cult of personality in this company and in this industry, and frankly, I'd like to see that diminish.

He just said he was sorry for what happened, ... I thought the evidence was overwhelming.

Today, we declare the resurgence of Ford. Here is what we will not stand for incremental change, avoiding risk, thinking short-term, blocking innovation, tying our people's hands, defending procedures that don't make sense, and selling what we have instead of what the customer wants. In short, we will not stand for business as usual.

She just has a new perspective on things. And it's fun just to listen to her.

We recognize that our fourth-quarter results forecast is unacceptable and we are working with a laser-like focus to improve our performance,

That was the time I started to envision Ford Field and I thought if we built it good enough, we'd have a shot to get the Super Bowl -- even though we'd face obstacles as a northern city,

Greg has contributed tremendously to Ford Motor Co. in many areas, including leading the turnaround at Ford Motor Credit. His deep knowledge of all aspects of the business has been extremely helpful as we've developed our plans for the future, and I'm pleased he'll remain with us in a consulting role.

We want to be sure that our investment managers understand our stance on this important issue as they consider their own investment strategies.

Nearly a decade ago, the government offered subsidies to their domestic auto suppliers to build hybrid batteries, which are one of the most expensive components of today's hybrid vehicles. That gave them a head-start.

Greg is a seasoned veteran with leadership experience in operations and finance, ... His broad, balanced understanding of the enterprise gives him the insights needed to direct our corporate staffs, guide our corporate strategy and offer good counsel at the highest levels of the Company.

I think the world is filled with so much hype and PR bull. Frankly, it all comes out in the end. Good or bad, I'd rather just let our accomplishments really speak for themselves.

For all the progress, we recognize we're very far from the finish line, ... We need a dramatically different business structure and we need innovation to drive everything we do.

Mark Fields is one of our most experienced, capable and proven leaders, ... He is known for his marketing expertise and his skills as a motivator. ... His next challenge is to lead The Americas automotive operations back to a sustained level of profitability.

I walked in and inherited a management group that I didn't know very well. They didn't know me, and we had a very short window to put together a credible recovery plan.

I don't ever want to believe my own press clippings, good or bad.

A crucial point is that Japanese carmakers would still be in good shape even if the Armada and the Sequoia weren't selling, because they have competitive models in every segment. For American automakers, big SUVs are leading the way to closed plants and layoffs. With the Expedition and the Excursion out front, Ford started talking about both things August 16. In the second quarter of 2005, Ford is poised for a pretax loss of 1.21 billion. The challenge we face isn't a traditional economic downturn, ... It's a new, rapidly evolving, brutally competitive global marketplace.

We took our eye off the ball as a company.

I've always had a problem with setting goals. I know when I get out I will be able to accomplish that goal. It will make us better people in the long run.

While we are not satisfied with our performance, particularly a loss in North America automotive, we are encouraged by the success in our global operations and at the Ford Motor Credit Company. We have said we intend to restore automotive profitability in North America by no later than 2008 and we remain committed to deliver on our promise.

We would not be surprised if some people elect to leave Ford Motor Company in the meantime. If they choose to do that, that is, of course, their decision,

Innovation will be part of this new supplier partnership -- as it will be part of every aspect of our business strategy going forward, ... Not only does innovation apply to safety, technology and design, it also will differentiate how Ford and our suppliers will define our relationship going forward.

When we're in a peak, we make a ton of money, and as soon as we make a ton of money, we're desperately looking for a way to spend it. And we diversify into areas that, frankly, we don't know how to run very well.

Our industry is beginning a dramatic restructuring which is sorely needed, ... The consequences will be painful to some.

It is clear that individuals and companies that want to be successful in the 21st century will need to be leaders in using the Internet and related technology. That's what this program is all about.

We must be guided by our long-term goals of building our brands, satisfying customers, developing strong products, accelerating innovation, and, most importantly, producing a sustainable profit from our automotive business.

Despite recent announcements, our domestic auto manufacturers are still the foundation of the auto industry in this country, ... We still employ nearly 90 percent of the workers in our industry. We still manufacture 75 percent of the cars and trucks made in America. We purchase 80 percent of all U.S. auto parts.

Longer term, it's not healthy for the industry, and frankly it's not sustainable,

From this point forward, innovation will be the compass by which the company sets its direction,

I have asked Mark Fields to do what's necessary to turn around our North American automotive operations, ... I fully expect the leadership team he has put in place today for the Americas will drive a turnaround and return a critical part of our business to a sustained level of profitability.

Steve's ability to drive results throughout an organization will be missed. His knowledge of our business undoubtedly will serve him well as our newest Ford dealer. This new endeavor, which he has chosen to pursue, demonstrates his confidence in the Company and its future.

One of the things I've had the advantage of, growing up and being close to the top management of this company and other companies for most of my life, is seeing how CEOs start to believe in their own infallibility. And that really scares me.

In addition, we are working with fuel providers to expand the infrastructure needed to provide ethanol. And we're going to actively engage customers so they will understand that they have (flex-fuel vehicle) options.

Ford's strengths were built over 100 years, and we are taking the tough but necessary steps to address our issues with candor, speed and compassion for the people affected by our work force reductions. This next chapter in Ford's history will be remembered for our renewed commitment to innovation and as the time we moved boldly to prepare Ford's North American business to face global competition.

We will be making painful sacrifices to protect Ford's heritage and secure our future. Going forward, we will be able to deliver more innovative products, better returns for our shareholders and stability in the communities where we operate.

We need to have a debate nationally that includes business and obviously includes the politicians, ... It's got to come up and it's got to come fast.

We have demonstrated throughout the year that we will continue to take the actions necessary to return our core business to sustainable profitability. We understand the issues, our priorities, and have the right team in place to get the job done.

I visited all of the domes in the NFL on a 10-day trip and two things struck me that I didn't want to duplicate, ... You never knew what city you were in, and you didn't know if it was day or night. That's not the case at Ford Field.

Hans-Olov's work at Volvo demonstrates great insight about brand strength and connecting with customers, ... We'd like to leverage that wisdom across the company. At the same time, we know it's important for him to stay involved with Volvo, one of our Company's greatest success stories.

These cuts are a painful last resort, and I'm deeply mindful of their impact. In the long run we will create far more stable and secure jobs. We all have to change, and we all have to sacrifice, but I believe this is the path to winning.

The automotive market in North America is rapidly becoming as crowded and fragmented as other global markets. To meet this challenge, we are acting with speed to strengthen the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, deliver the innovation customers demand and create a business structure for us to compete, and win, in this era of global competition.

The future arrived faster than we expected because of this year's sharp spike in fuel prices,

I thought I'd at least get half way through. You get called up against a hot player at the beginning and you have to be sharp. You gotta keep the focus. It's hard to focus in there.

We know that our customers are concerned about energy. Our job is to alleviate some of their concerns with viable options in their choice of transportation.

Every day is a big test, ... It's not going to be a bed of roses for the next number of quarters. But we are making progress. I feel very good about where we are from a leadership standpoint.