• Ford will invest $400 million in its Kansas City facility to upgrade the plant and accommodate production of the new vehicle, while retaining full-time employment of 3,750

• Based on the company’s commitment to this investment level and job retention, the state of Missouri approved tax incentives that played a role in Ford’s decision

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 18, 2011 – Ford Motor Company today announced a further commitment to U.S. manufacturing with plans to build a new vehicle at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri after Ford Escape production moves to Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant and retooling of the Kansas City facility is complete.

Ford will invest $400 million in the Kansas City plant to install a new body shop, new tooling and other upgrades. In addition, the company has committed to retain 3,750 full-time jobs at the plant – consistent with current employment levels. This includes the positions required to assemble the Ford F-150, which will continue to be built at the facility on a separate line.

“This investment and promise of a new vehicle to be built in Kansas City reinforces Ford’s commitment to U.S. manufacturing and American jobs,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Investing in our plants, products and people is critical to Ford’s ability to compete with the best in the business. Ford is committed to doing everything it takes to work with its partners, including the United Auto Workers, to remain competitive.”

Kansas City Assembly Plant is the fourth North American facility Ford is retooling for production of new vehicles that are at the heart of an increasingly balanced lineup of cars, trucks and utilities. The new vehicle planned for the plant will be announced at a later date.

In planning to secure Ford’s future manufacturing presence in the state, Ford worked closely with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and the Missouri State Legislature in passage of the 2010 Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act. This legislation provides tax incentives for certified automotive manufacturers that commit to new investments and job retention in Missouri and suppliers who create new jobs in the state.

“Today’s announcement ensures that next-generation vehicles will be built right here in Missouri, by the best workforce in the country,” said Nixon. “Last year, we came together to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act to help our state compete for the production jobs of the future. That hard work paid off. For thousands of employees at Ford’s Claycomo plant, and thousands more at suppliers across Missouri, this news is a big win. We’ll be building the vehicles of the future right here in the Show-Me State.”

Kansas City Assembly Plant opened in 1951 and has approximately 3,750 employees. It currently produces the best-selling Ford F-150 on one shift and the award-winning Ford Escape on three crews.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

DETROIT, Jan. 10, 2011 – Ford Motor Company today announced it will add 7,000 new hourly and salaried jobs between this year and next in the United States.

This year alone, Ford is adding nearly 4,000 hourly jobs at several of its U.S. plants, including 1,800 at Louisville Assembly Plant, which is preparing to launch the next-generation Ford Escape late in the year. Ford also will add 750 salaried engineering jobs in product development and manufacturing. Next year, Ford expects to add at least 2,500 more new manufacturing positions.

“Ford is committed to American manufacturing, and we are on a path to add more than 7,000 American workers over the next two years as we continue to grow our product lineup,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Working with our partners, including the UAW, Ford is finding competitive ways to engineer and build even more high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles with technologies American consumers really want.”

Ford is recruiting salaried engineers specializing in batteries, system controls, software and energy storage to work on electric vehicles in Detroit and eight other cities including Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee; Raleigh and Durham, N.C.; and San Jose, Calif. This recruitment launches at the 2011 North American International Auto Show during industry preview days on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

WAYNE, Mich., Dec. 14, 2010 – Ford Motor Company’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which once churned out large SUVs, has completed a $550 million transformation that will make it the world’s first factory to build not only fuel-efficient gas-powered cars, but also three production versions of electrified vehicles including battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

Michigan Assembly will be home to the all-new global Ford Focus, which has started production and goes on sale early next year. The Focus Electric zero-emission battery electric vehicle goes into production late next year followed by production of a new hybrid and a plug-in hybrid in 2012.
“We’ve modernized just about every square foot of this facility to establish a new standard for a high-tech, green, flexible and efficient auto factory,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president of North America Manufacturing. “The transformation of Michigan Assembly Plant stands as a symbol for the transformation of Ford.”

On the outside, a new 500-kilowatt solar panel system will be installed to help generate renewal energy for production of Ford’s all-new Focus and Focus Electric cars. Ten new electric vehicle charging stations on the property will be used to recharge the electric trucks that transport parts between adjacent facilities.

Inside, new cars making the three-mile trip down the assembly line must pass dozens of rigorous quality inspections. A new three-wet paint booth utilizes 66 paint robots with seven axis of movement to precisely apply paint to the cars. In the body shop, 500 new robots capable of 4,000 welds per vehicle add to the plant’s flexibility. And a new internal communications system flashes updates and information to the plant’s 3,200 employees via 163 monitor screens distributed throughout the plant.

Flexible: Trends move fast
Bright, modern and green – like the car it is building – the refurbished Michigan Assembly Plant is the company’s new benchmark for flexible manufacturing. At 1.2 million square feet – about the size of 22 football fields – the plant becomes Ford’s most flexible, high-volume and modern manufacturing facility in its global operations. Ford will continue to evolve its manufacturing flexibility as the company’s facilities are rapidly being transformed into more nimble, flexible, and technologically advanced operations.

The changes at the plant will allow the company to run multiple models down the same production line without requiring considerable downtime for changeover of tooling. Two different models of the Focus can be adjusted between builds without restrictions.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that customer wants and needs can change quickly – much more quickly than we have been equipped to efficiently respond to in the past,” said Tetreault. “At Michigan Assembly, we will achieve a level of flexibility we don’t have in any other plant around the world, which will allow us to meet shifting consumer preferences in real time.”

Renewable: Power from the sun
Michigan Assembly also will boast Michigan’s largest solar power generation system and several electric vehicle charging stations for greener, more sustainable manufacturing when installation is completed next year.

Ford is teaming with Detroit Edison and Xtreme Power to install the 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panel system. The system will be integrated with a 750-kilowatt energy storage facility that can store 2 million watt-hours of energy using batteries – enough to power 100 average Michigan homes for a year. A secondary, smaller solar energy system will be added at a later date to power lighting systems at Michigan Assembly. The combined systems are expected to result in projected energy cost savings of about $160,000 per year.

Quality: At every turn
To ensure best-in-class quality for the all-new Focus, vehicles on the line will endure rigorous examinations. Workers will perform hundreds of comprehensive quality tests and checks to ensure every bolt, seam and joint has been thoroughly inspected before continuing down the line.

“We are leveraging our people, processes and products to consistently build cars that will surpass the competition,” said Tetreault. “This plant embodies everything we as a company strive to become – modern, efficient, flexible, global and sustainable.”

Contributing to Focus’ best-in-class quality and Michigan Assembly’s transformation:

• Virtual manufacturing technology to improve ergonomics for easier, safer work
• Redesigned water soak testing booth to ensure zero water entry for long-term durability
• Highly efficient and environmentally friendly painting process
• Best-in-class squeak and rattle track that shakes and rolls vehicles for noises
• New energy-efficient illumination lighting for better vehicle inspections
• Moving platforms with real-time height adjustments for better operator ergonomics
• Vision-guided automation for better installation, fit-and-finish of doors, decks and hoods
• New robotic paint spray booths for more consistent and environmentally friendly application
• Electric tools capable of precisely measuring torque and the number of rotations required to secure bolts, screws and other attachments

Adding to the physical transformation of the plant, Ford and the United Auto Workers have developed a framework to establish a strong, progressive culture that encourages joint problem solving and continuous improvement of the production process.

“This plant is an inspirational example of how a modern manufacturing facility should look and work,” said Tetreault. “It’s bright, high-tech and efficient, while also being environmentally and ergonomically friendly.”
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 9, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today announced it is investing $600 million to transform its Louisville Assembly Plant into a modern, flexible facility that is building the next-generation Escape for the North America market starting late next year.

The plant is the third North American body-on-frame truck plant that Ford is re-tooling to enable production of fuel-efficient products from its global vehicle platforms. Louisville Assembly has been building the Ford Explorer SUV since 1989.

Ford moved production of the all-new 2011 Explorer to Chicago Assembly and is overhauling the Louisville facility to build the next-generation Escape and providing future manufacturing flexibility.

When the transformed Louisville Assembly Plant restarts production in 2011, it will operate on two shifts with approximately 2,900 employees – up from today’s one shift and approximately 1,100 employees. The 1,800 additional jobs are expected to be filled through a combination of transferring employees from other facilities, re-activating workers on indefinite layoff at the time of launch and hiring new workers.

“Our Louisville Assembly Plant transformation further proves our commitment to American manufacturing and our commitment to deliver the high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles people really want,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Working closely with the UAW and Kentucky officials, we have found a way to competitively deliver an important new vehicle that is good for our customers and supports our plan to deliver a well-balanced product portfolio of cars, trucks and utilities.”

Ford will signal its future direction for the next-generation Escape through a concept vehicle debuting at the North American International Auto Show in January.

Later in the year, the plant reopens with tooling and facility upgrades in its final assembly area and body shop. Reprogrammable tooling in the body shop will allow the plant to produce multiple vehicle models at the same time without requiring downtime for tooling changeover – making Louisville Assembly Plant Ford’s most flexible high-volume plant in the world.

With this new technology, Louisville Assembly can build up to six different vehicles at the same time, allowing Ford to meet demand more quickly in the event of potential shifting customer preferences dictated by changing economic conditions.

“Manufacturing flexibility is a key to competitiveness, and we are continually exploring ways to raise the bar in this critical area of the business,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford’s vice president of North America Manufacturing. “While we are launching Louisville Assembly Plant with one key product – the next-generation Ford Escape – we are building in the flexibility to produce other vehicles at the plant in the future, depending upon volume requirements, customer preferences and other factors that affect vehicle demand.”

The Commonwealth of Kentucky and the city of Louisville are key partners in strengthening the foundation for Ford’s commitment to American manufacturing in Louisville. Ford’s state and local partners have committed up to $240 million in tax incentives during the next 10 years, based on current and potential future investments and job creation at the company’s two Kentucky facilities – Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Plant.

Kentucky’s incentives are based upon an initial combined Ford investment at both facilities of about $800 million – the $600 million for Louisville Assembly transformation and the previously invested $200 million for accommodating Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator production at Kentucky Truck Plant. The incentive also allows for additional investment in the future.

“We are grateful to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the city of Louisville for their support of Ford and our commitment to manufacturing here,” Fields said. “With Louisville Assembly Plant up and running next year, Ford will have nearly 6,600 employees in Kentucky, and the work we have done together makes this an important manufacturing center of excellence for us.”

“Kentucky takes great pride in its ongoing partnership with Ford Motor Company,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “The transformation of the Louisville Assembly Plant demonstrates the depth of that relationship and the tremendous results that can occur when state and local government and the private sector work together. It is because of our relationship that the Commonwealth proactively approved an amended incentive package today that will create the flexibility to potentially increase Ford’s investment and jobs at Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Plant over time.”

Ford’s investment of $600 million in Louisville Assembly Plant for production of the next-generation Escape also is supported by the company’s green partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. Louisville Assembly Plant is one of 11 Ford facilities in the U.S. participating in the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentives Program initiated by Congress and implemented by the Obama administration. The program is helping to develop advanced technology vehicles and strengthen American manufacturing across the country.

“Only one word can capture the magnitude of today’s announcement – WOW,” said Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. “Ford is making a long-lasting investment in the company’s future in Louisville, Kentucky and a tremendous commitment to our citizens by dramatically expanding the number of good-paying jobs.”
# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2010 – The reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer has started rolling off the line at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, marking a new beginning for both the historic factory and the iconic SUV.

The Torrence Avenue plant has been extensively renovated to accommodate production of the new Explorer, and all employees have prepared for its launch by participating in extensive training programs.

“Ford is investing in American manufacturing, ensuring that the most important new products in the company’s lineup are built in the U.S. by UAW workers,” said Jim Tetreault, vice president of North America Manufacturing. “We are thrilled to bring 2011 Ford Explorer production to Chicago Assembly Plant along with the jobs and investment it provides to the region.

“We look forward to finding more opportunities for competitively growing our business and providing customers with capable, fuel-efficient, stylish, high-quality products.”

Ford Explorer – the vehicle that defined a segment 20 years ago with more than 6 million sold – has been reinvented for the 2011 model year, raising customers’ expectations of sport utility vehicle fuel efficiency, technology, capability and quality. The seven-passenger SUV also raises the bar on safety with a class-leading array of features including industry-first inflatable rear seat belts, Trinity front impact structure, AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) and Curve Control technology.

The all-new Ford Explorer SUV offers best-in-class fuel economy from high-tech powertrains, featuring multiple enhancements to improve mechanical efficiency. Explorer comes standard with a powerful, fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT). For customers wanting top SUV fuel economy, Explorer offers an optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost™ I-4 engine delivering V6 power with four-cylinder fuel efficiency.

Renovations, training ensure top quality for Ford Explorer
The next-generation Explorer is built at Chicago Assembly Plant on a flexible assembly line alongside the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans. Ford’s $400 million investment includes approximately $180 million in manufacturing investments at the Chicago Assembly and nearby Chicago Stamping Plant and about $220 million for launch and engineering costs. Ford also added 1,200 new jobs to staff a second production shift at Chicago Assembly and increase production at Chicago Stamping.

The company’s investment at Chicago Assembly allowed for renovations to accommodate the all-new Explorer, which is wider and taller than the outgoing model. This meant Ford had to rework everything from vehicle carriers to the overhead clamshells that carry unfinished vehicles from one part of the line to another. Twenty new pieces of equipment, 175 electric tools and more than 70 rearranged workstations rounded out the enhancements.

All of these renovations were done without disrupting production of Taurus and MKS. In fact, in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey, which measures “Things Gone Wrong,” Taurus ranked highest within its segment. Taurus also ranked highest in its segment in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Survey, which measures “Things Gone Right.” Both are important third-party measures of quality and customer satisfaction.

“No details were overlooked, because we are dedicated to ensuring our plant continues to deliver the best, highest-quality products possible, and competes on the international stage in an increasingly global auto industry,” said Jan Allman, Chicago Assembly Plant manager.

Additionally, a “rough road” test track was revamped, featuring seven surfaces designed to help employees identify any squeaks and rattles on vehicles before they leave the plant.

An updated error-proofing system also was incorporated that will benefit all the products built at Chicago Assembly Plant. The system uses technology to assist operators at various workstations in confirming proper vehicle assembly. A device resembling a key fob is used to ensure the plant’s electrical tools have applied the proper amount of torque during assembly. If any equipment does not receive the proper torque, the line will stop. With the assistance of this technology, the operator has the necessary information to make a decision about whether or not there is a concern. Any and all concerns are addressed before the vehicle is permitted to move to the next assembly station.

“In addition to all of the physical upgrades we’ve made at the plant to prepare for this important launch, we’ve taken work force training to a new level,” Tetreault said. “We trained the work force with an emphasis on quality. Chicago Assembly has a record of delivering vehicles with consistently high quality and excellent customer satisfaction. We are doing everything we can to make this plant the most competitive in every measure.”

For Explorer, training sessions began midyear, and included both classroom and hands-on learning for new and existing employees. New workers were trained on “static” vehicles, before being paired with an operator to ensure they were qualified to work on their own. A staggered shift also helped integrate new employees, and ensured the same level of quality on both shifts.

Additionally, a standardization process adopted from Ford’s Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant assured that operators aren’t considered certified until they have worked on 400 units consecutively without error. All workers had to achieve this milestone before they could work alone on the line.

Building on history
Chicago Assembly has a proud history of producing high-quality vehicles. As Ford’s oldest assembly plant in North America still in operation, it has produced generations of important Ford cars and trucks. The original Chicago Assembly Plant produced the classic Model T, and then later expanded into its current location and produced Ford delivery trucks, the Model A and Model A Convertible Cabriolets, among others that have made their mark in automotive history.

In 1942, Chicago Assembly converted to war production, manufacturing nearly 6,000 M-8 armored cars and M-20 reconnaissance armored units, equipped with anti-mine floors developed by Ford under the supervision of the Army Ordnance Department. Production of the Mercury Sedan in 1945 marked the plant’s return to civilian vehicles.

In 2009, Chicago Assembly produced all of the company’s Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans. The plant will begin to ship the 2011 Explorer to dealers as early as next week.
# # #
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

DETROIT, Oct. 25, 2010 – Ford Motor Company today announced plans to invest an additional $850 million in Michigan between 2011 and 2013 as part of the company’s commitment to competitively grow its engineering and manufacturing employee base, upgrade its facilities in the state and further improve its vehicle fuel economy.

“Fuel economy and technology are consumers’ biggest priorities – and we have made them Ford’s as well,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “We are pleased to work with state and local government leaders to find new ways to work together, invest in our people as well as Ford facilities, further improve our competitiveness and secure jobs in Michigan.”

Ford’s investment will generate up to 1,200 new full-time positions in manufacturing and engineering operations in Michigan by 2013. The company expects approximately 900 jobs will be hourly positions in its Michigan manufacturing facilities and the remaining 300 will be salaried positions within its engineering and manufacturing operations.
Ford is making the Michigan investment commitment after working with officials on a new Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) package that replaces several existing state incentives and makes Michigan a more competitive place to invest in new fuel-saving technologies and facilities. The Michigan Economic Development Council considers the package this week.

Once approved, Ford will allocate its $850 million investment across a variety of plants including Van Dyke Transmission, Sterling Axle, Livonia Transmission and Dearborn Truck Plant.

For instance, a significant portion of the company’s additional investment will benefit engineering and production of Ford’s new six-speed transmissions, which are planned for many future Ford vehicles and built at the Livonia Transmission Plant and Van Dyke Transmission Plant. By 2013, 100 percent of Ford vehicles will incorporate a six-speed transmission as part of the company’s commitment to leadership in fuel economy performance in all vehicle segments.

“We applaud the State of Michigan’s leadership in finding innovative solutions aimed at making both the state and Ford more competitive,” Fields said. “Promoting investments in technologies, facilities and our workforce ultimately will help revitalize manufacturing in Michigan and help Ford compete with the best in the business world-wide.”

This most recent investment commitment builds on the $950 million the company previously announced in Michigan to transform the Michigan Assembly Plant from a large SUV factory to a state-of-the-art car plant, which will build the new Focus arriving in showrooms early next year, as well as the company’s battery electric Focus and next generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, all planned for production at the Wayne, Mich., facility by 2012.

“We’ve worked hard to keep Michigan the center of the automobile industry, and Ford’s investment is further evidence that our efforts are succeeding,” said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Ford as the American auto industry builds the green vehicles of the future.”
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 4, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is on pace to bring in-house approximately 1,975 hourly jobs that would be performed by suppliers inside and outside of the U.S. by 2012 – exceeding its original commitment to the United Auto Workers by more than 25 percent.

Ford said it is able to bring the UAW jobs into Ford’s U.S. plants thanks to collaboration with the union to make its plants more competitive and efficient through modern labor agreements.

“The name of the game is competitiveness, and our UAW partners have found new ways of working together on labor agreements that allow us to bring jobs back to Ford plants and back to America,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas, who is speaking today at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.

The initial commitment with the UAW called for 1,559 jobs to be “in-sourced” to Ford hourly workers throughout the four-year term of the contract. Ford already has brought 1,340 jobs into 24 U.S. plants and has committed to bring another 635 to nine Ford plants in the U.S. by 2012.

Ford and the UAW have been working together to develop a strong business case for sourcing components – including parts, sub-assemblies and systems – to the company’s American plants. Some of these jobs would have been produced by suppliers outside the U.S.

Ford has committed to in-source jobs to the majority of its assembly, powertrain and stamping facilities around the country, including the:

• Sharonville (Ohio) Transmission Plant for 6F35 automatic transmission gear machining and solenoid body assembly
• Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., for moon roof sub-assembly, instrument panel assembly and part kitting for engine, doors and interior trim for the company’s new Ford Focus, arriving in dealerships this winter
• Chicago Stamping Plant for a variety of stamped parts for the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus, as well as for next generation Ford Explorer
• Sterling Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., for global production of the Rear Drive Unit for Ford’s front-wheel drive products
• Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights for production of the 6F35 automatic transmission and HF35 electric drive transaxle. The work is currently performed by a supplier in Japan
• Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., for battery pack assembly for next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles. The work is currently performed by a supplier in Mexico

“Bringing these jobs to Ford’s U.S. facilities has proven to be a win-win proposition for the company and our salaried and hourly employees,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president, North America Manufacturing. “Not only are these agreements enabling us to become more cost competitive, but bringing work to our UAW work force ensures that we apply world-class quality control and improved efficiency through the rigorous processes that are part of our production system.”

Ford said it has a long history of working hand-in-hand with the UAW on competitive issues, including initiatives aimed at improving quality and productivity. As a result, the company continues to show substantial improvement in these metrics as reported in both internal studies and third-party research.

For example, according to the most recent J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study, the Ford brand now has the highest initial quality among all non-luxury brands, with three Ford models ranking highest within their segments.

“Ford’s commitment to working with the UAW to maximize our in-sourcing opportunities sends another clear signal that we are investing in the future of American manufacturing,” Fields said. “We will continue working with our UAW partners and others on competitive business plans designed to provide opportunities for long-term growth and profitable growth for all of our stakeholders.”
# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 2, 2010 – When production of the all-new 2012 Ford Focus begins later this year, Ford Motor Company’s newly transformed Michigan Assembly Plant will be the company’s new benchmark for flexible manufacturing around the world.

Michigan Assembly is one of three truck plants in North America that Ford is revamping to make fuel-efficient passenger cars. The plant will build the new Focus and Focus Electric beginning next year with more models coming in the future.

At Michigan Assembly, Ford will utilize programmable equipment in its body shop, which will allow the company to run multiple body styles down the same production line without requiring considerable downtime for changeover of tooling. In fact, more than 80 percent of the body tooling in the plant’s body shop can be programmed to weld a variety of body styles without delay in tooling changeover and can adjust the mix between models without restrictions.

“If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that customer wants and needs can change quickly – much more quickly than we have been equipped to respond to efficiently in the past,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president of North America Manufacturing. “At Michigan Assembly, we will achieve a level of flexibility we don’t have in any other plant around the world, which will allow us to meet shifting consumer preferences in real time.”

While the state-of-the-art Michigan Assembly facility is utilizing Ford’s industry-leading virtual manufacturing technology, three-wet paint process and a common build sequence in the final assembly area, the most significant step toward improving flexibility is taking place in its body shop. The company’s Manufacturing operations worked closely with its Product Development teams to construct product platform designs that enable use of the programmable equipment to produce multiple variations of products in one facility.

Body construction has long been a limiting factor in any plant’s flexibility. Under traditional systems, unique tooling is required to weld each individual vehicle body style. Running a different body style down the same line traditionally requires considerable additional downtime for physical tooling changeover.

In recent years, Ford has made important strides in assembly plant body shop flexibility in plants such as Chicago Assembly, Oakville Assembly and Kentucky Truck, where significantly different products are built on a common system. However, Ford’s latest strategy dramatically reduces physical tooling constraints through use of the programmable tooling technologies that eliminate the need to replace model-specific tooling for locating, clamping and welding. This saves time and limits disruption to the plant’s operations.

“Manufacturing flexibility provides a competitive advantage, so it is essential that we continue to improve our flexible capability,” Tetreault said. “The automakers with true flexibility will be positioned to compete more effectively in the global marketplace. That’s why continuous improvement in flexibility is a priority for us.”

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.