Ford Motor Company
Henry Ford was a pioneer in the field of car manufacturing. He completely transformed the way cars are viewed and made them accessible to the masses. He was a revolutionary with ideas that changed the way people treat cars and workers. Ford is still one of the leading car manufacturers in the world primarily because it has maintained its brand worth and has continued to follow Henry Ford’s visionary ideas and strategies. Started in 1902 by Henry Ford when he was 40 years old, Ford Motor Company is the largest family controlled company in the world and has contributed hugely to the automobile industry.
One of the biggest contributions that Ford Motor Company has made to the automotive manufacturing industry is the moving assembly line. The technique was first implemented at the Hughland Park plant in Michigan and it allowed the workers to stand in one place and perform the same tasks repeatedly on multiple vehicle that passed by them. This technique made workers more efficient and helped the company increase production levels tremendously. It took Ford high above its competitors and made its vehicles more appreciative.
In January 1914, Henry Ford made an announcement which brought the Ford Motor Company to the forefront if innovation once more. He announced that the company would pay its workers 5$ a day and that their working hours would reduce from nine to eight per day. Ford’s primary objective was to reduce attrition because labour turnover from monotonous assembly line work was high but the gesture was hailed as an act of goodwill the world over. It increased loyalty greatly. As he expected the company’s employee turnover diminished and by creating an eight-hour day, he could run three shifts instead of two, increasing productivity. The $5 day helped better the lot of all American workers. It paved way to the blooming of the American middle class.
The Ford logo also has a story behind it, like all great logos do. The Ford oval trademark was first used in 1907. The first vehicle to sport the logo was the 1928 Model A. The dark blue background of the logo is known to all designers as Pantone 294c in the designer jargon. The script in the logo is credited to Childe Harold Willis who created it in 1903 based on the script he used for his business cards. The oval today has evolved into a perfect shape with a width to height ratio of 8:3.
The Ford factory at Rouge is its most famous factory and the very first product that was manufactured in this factory was actually a boat. The Ford Motor Company supplied the Allied army during the First World War, not only with Eagle boats but also with helmets, Model T engines, trucks, ambulances etc.
Ford has always been environment-conscious and has been involved in the research of alternative fuels and fuel-efficient engines and automobiles. Henry Ford was an environmentalist and he started the ball rolling with a design for a tractor which ran only on alcohol. Ford then started using a brand of alternate fuel called Benzol. During the great depression, Ford practiced recycling and reusing of waste, thus becoming one of the very few companies to survive this trying time. The company has developed a modern Econoline van which was North America’s first hybrid and since 1981 has maintained a fleet of experimental vehicles which run on methanol. Always looking to the future, Ford believes in sustainability and responsibility to the environment.
A brand which has sustained for so long only on its integrity and vision is definitely a brand to reckon with. Ford Motor Company has had a long history and it doesn’t look like this will change anytime soon.
- Ayesha Sruti Ahmed
Tags: car manufacturers, ford, ford motor company, ford motors, ford vehicles
Related Posts:Related Posts
Leave a Comment
