01-20-06: While Ford has been introducing new products at a marching band pace over the last two years, the music has not been enough to stop the continued erosion of their market share here in the Untied States. The new Mustang is selling well as is the new Fusion and 500 families of product. There are other products taking up valuable factory and showroom space that are not performing such as the Windstar minivans, Ranger trucks, Focus compacts, and the new Freestyle SUV. Profits are still under pressure, costs and unused capacity still need to be cut and fast. Bill Ford has been doing his level best to invigorate the company which bears his name, but for nearly three years no significant improvements have come from his efforts that Wall Street has acknowledged. It has been said that Ford Motor Company has as much a corporate culture problem as they have a problem with product. There are scores of brilliant people at the company who aren't fully able to realize their potential due to the company's structural red-tape within.

Enter Mark Fields. He is the new executive vice president, Ford Motor Company, and president, The Americas, a position he assumed in October 2005. In this role, Fields is responsible for all operations involved in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sales of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. He reports to Jim Padilla, the Company's president and chief operating officer.

Fields is young. He has led a trail of fire through the company that has been nothing short of remarkable. Thus far, almost everything he has touched has turned to gold. He joined Ford Motor Company in 1989. In just a little over 10 years he was named President and CEO of Mazda Motor Company. In that role he shook up the old-guard in Tokyo who didn't fully appreciate this young American in his late 30's becoming President. It was there that his slogan "change or die" was to become well known throughout the company. In a few short years he transformed Mazda from a maker of dull and slow selling cars into the dynamic highly profitable division it is today.

Moving on, Fields served as executive vice president, Ford of Europe and Premier Automotive Group (PAG), where he led all activities for Ford's premium vehicle business group, and for Ford-brand vehicles manufactured and sold in European countries. His work there is seen in the new highly successful models from Range Rover and Jaguar. Those divisions now also are beginning to reap profitability.

He is the man with the golden touch it seems, which is why Bill Ford has brought him back to the Glass House in Dearborn to run the Ford Divisions in America. One set of qualities that he really has in his corner are a movie star persona and captivating showmanship style. He recently starred at both the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows, at the unveilings of several new Ford models and concept cars. He seems to have a charisma that could very well lead the management to better days as well as impress the critics of the financial world. Success wont be free though. The company will be announcing its "Way Forward" plan on January 23rd which will outline their plan to cut costs and production capacity to save the company. The plan promises to cut deep into both the blue and white collar workforce as well as spell the demise of a few plants.

Careful to set high expectations on 2006, Fields remarked, “Somewhat slower growth, higher interest rates and volatile gas prices all add up to auto sales that probably won’t outshine last year’s selling rate in this new year.” As to what new products from Ford are expected to turn the company around his focus is on the right track in our minds. "Today’s fastest-growing vehicle segment in the United States is crossover utility vehicles, or CUVs. They are on pace this year to exceed traditional SUV sales for the first time ever,” he said. Ford wont be forgetting the small car market either. “Another key battleground is small cars. Small is big in America – particularly among the ‘under 30 set.’ And, like crossovers, small cars are ripe for bold design and innovation.”, Fields said.

Fields is fast setting a tone for the company's new strategy in America. “Americans really do want to buy American brands. There remains a huge – and not yet fully realized – market for American cars in this country. It is waiting to be seized, consistently", he said. “We at Ford are changing the way we do business. We will compete vigorously to be America ’s Car Company, winning the hearts and minds of even more customers. Our way forward is not a retreat into smaller markets, but a retaking of the American marketplace. It starts today. It’s time to play offense. It’s time to take back our future.”

We applaud the words and hope to see them become results.