Ford tips it will be our top brand

[Dr Smith]

Carsguide 4/4/2014, Paul Gover.
http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and...82934_20140402

Ford is well advanced with a survival strategy.
Ford is promising to lead the Australian motor industry beyond 2020 despite killing its locally-made Falcon and Territory.
Ford says its future is focussed on high-tech engineering and design work, including development of a range of offshore models as part of the One Ford global production plan. It already employs more than 1000 people at Broadmeadows who are not tied to carmaking, has just re-activated its university hiring program, and this week announces an upgrade to the virtual reality laboratory in Melbourne.
"Our overall plan is to grow. That's what people don't understand," the spokesman for Ford Australia, Wes Sherwood, tells Carsguide. "We'll have the largest automotive employment after 2017. There will be 1500 jobs, with 1100 of those in design and engineering."

Even though it was the first to pull the pin on its local manufacturing operation, or perhaps because of it, Ford is already well advanced with a survival strategy. The company's development team has already created the Ranger ute and Everest SUV for production in Thailand, developed a baby Figo for Ford of India, and is working on a born-again Escort for China.

And those are just the projects we know about. "They are working on some of the most advanced products and technologies in the world," Sherwood says of the development team.

In the past, Ford Australia has been a closed shop when it comes to comment about its offshore efforts. But Sherwood and company president Bob Graziano know they have to spread the message about the future before the Falcon and Territory become part of the past.

And it's not just the people who are already embedded outside the corporate headquarters in Broadmeadows. Ford Australia has just re-started its university hiring progam for an intake in 2015 and is also looking to sponsor promising students. "We will bring in some fresh blood and new ideas. And we've re-started our university research projects. We're already looking at connectivity and lightweighting," says Sherwood.

But Ford Australia is not just worrying about its own future. It has just sponsored a 'supplier fair' to help smaller companies build connections to overseas Ford projects and bigger suppliers to the blue oval brand. A total of 40 Australian companies were involved with 17 regional suppliers.

"Nine of them have earned regional or global business," Sherwood says. "It was a really impressive event. We made all the connections." And he says that there are plenty of opportunities, as suppliers in high-cost countries such as Germany and Japan have proven. "There are advanced mature markets around the globe with similar issues to Australia who have been able to supply and innovate."

I like the bit about University hire. I know of some friends long time ago that were made formal job offers by Ford while celebrating on the last day of their engineering exams and months before final results were to be released. Gave their party a noticeable "boost", lol.

[Joe5619]

That is awesome news!! Ford need to get that message out more I think. I hope they can help allot of the supplier chain get global contracts & stay in business.. And the Universtiy hiring for 2015 is a good sight they have a long term future

[CyberWasp]

Getting the message out is the problem.
The media in this country do a very bad job.

[Trump]

The only way Ford can topple Mazda and Toyota is by beating them at their own game and convincing the masses that they are better than the Japanese pair. We know how "awesome" the Ford marketing machine has been til now though... They have the lineup to do it, they need to sort the dealers out and instill the same sense of reassurance people have with their perception of reliability of the Japanese pair. Holden on the other hand...

[Blueford260]

You are absolutely right all the Japanese car makers have is a perception of reliability. The reality is they break down and have problems the same as the rest of them. Despite what people think Hilux’s are not unbreakable, Dad bought one new in 2009 the same time I bought my Ranger and he has broke stuff on he plenty of times without even trying it would seem

[Kieron]

And this is the big key -

"In the past, Ford Australia has been a closed shop when it comes to comment about its offshore efforts. But Sherwood and company president Bob Graziano know they have to spread the message about the future before the Falcon and Territory become part of the past."

Holden are not doing this and are reaping the short term benefits with the commodore but FOA's strategy is to re-position the brand now hence not much focus on the Falcon, a better idea in my view.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

The only way Ford can topple Mazda and Toyota is by beating them at their own game and convincing the masses that they are better than the Japanese pair. We know how "awesome" the Ford marketing machine has been til now though... They have the lineup to do it, they need to sort the dealers out and instill the same sense of reassurance people have with their perception of reliability of the Japanese pair. Holden on the other hand...

People are not reading this article properly, they are talking about being no 1 in terms of employing people in the auto industry, not being number 1 in sales. We all know that isn't going to happen, no one will be able to knock off Toyota as number 1 due to there huge range of vehicles in every segment. No other manufacturer has a range as wide as Toyotas, that's why it is so absurd that the new Holden President is so stupid for saying he thinks Holden will be number 1 in 2020. How are they going to do that with a range much smaller than Toyotas, not to mention they have nothing that can come close to selling as much as Camry, Corolla, Hilux, Yaris, Prado etc in their respective classes, not to mention they have nothing to compete against Landcruiser, 86, Hiace etc.

Unbelievable that he could even suggest it, especially when their number 1 car is disappearing and being replaced with some FWD chinese rubbish without a V8, ute, etc.

[Dr Smith]

Bossxr8, is right, the article is about Ford Aust. being the biggest automotive business employer in Aust. in the future and not about having the greatest market share.

[turbodewd]

Lets look at each segment.

I think the Ranger can really give the Hilux a good shake.

I doubt the Focus can topple the Corolla.

The Everest looks good to me, it might give the Landcruiser and Patrol a scare.

The Mustang will sell very well, Toyota has no direct competitor but it does very well with its 86.

Not sure how Yaris goes v Fiesta.

The Edge (or it may be named the Terri)...who knows how this will go v the Kluger.