September 30, 2011 Thank you for registering to be a part of Ford Motor Company's Blue Oval Connect retiree outreach initiative. Refer a Friend: If you know of other Ford retirees who would like to receive this newsletter, please take a moment to refer them to http://www.blueovalconnect.com/. In this Blue Oval Connect Weekly Briefing…
Further 2012 Annual Enrollment Period information is available on the
Peer Support website (http://www.ford-umbrella-group.org/).
Lincoln Summer Exclusive Sales Event is coming to an end. That means time is short to get an attractive offer on Lincoln MKZ. In addition to attractive lease rates on Lincoln MKZ, every new Lincoln now comes with a four-year, $0-deductible, complimentary maintenance program. Select your Lincoln MKZ , recently named "Most Dependable Entry Premium Car" for the second year in a row, by J.D. Power and Associates1 and get standard SYNC® the in-car connectivity system that responds to voice commands.2 See your local Lincoln Dealer now to take advantage of the Lincoln Summer Exclusive Sales Event. Click here for more information. Disclaimer:
Now, get 0 percent APR Financing for 60 Months + $1,000 Trade Assist + No Payments for 90 Days1 during the Built Ford Tough Sales Event! Ford F-Series pickups are the best-selling trucks for 34 years running because both F-150 and Super Duty® offer what you need in a full-size pickup: best-in-class towing, payload2 and fuel efficiency. 3 If you need to go a little smaller, Ranger I-4 delivers best-in-class fuel economy4 too, and has better quality than its Toyota Tacoma competitor. 5 See your local Ford Dealer now to take advantage of the Built Ford Tough Sales Event. Click here for more information on this event. Disclaimer:
Bill Ford Talks to Retirees on the Business, Future Last week, Executive Chairman Bill Ford joined the Ford Retired Engineering Executives (FREE) club as the guest speaker at the Dearborn Country Club for their monthly luncheon. Ford discussed the state of the business with the retiree group – not only the Ford brand, but the future of Lincoln as well. Ford said that right now he is having the best time of his career. And a lot of that comes from the success of the team working together in the company. To read the full article, click here.
A unique Ford Explorer rolled off the line this week at Chicago Assembly Plant that features the model’s trademark eye-catching craftsmanship with one notable distinction. This Ford Explorer is created from more than 380,000 LEGO® bricks and marks the beginning of a long-term alliance between Ford and LEGOLAND Florida theme park. The bright red LEGOLAND Florida edition Explorer, created by 22 designers, weighs 2,654 pounds and is supported by a 768-pound interior aluminum base. The completely reinvented Ford Explorer is a head-turner on its own, of course, blending style, capability and technology with class-leading fuel efficiency. It delivers an EPA-certified 28 mpg on the highway with an all-new EcoBoost® engine. To read the full article, click here.
The 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor is set to deliver a new level of the no-compromise off-road performance the truck is famed for and, with a variety of new technologies and interior and exterior updates, it won’t disappoint. Additional capability for the 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor comes from a new Torsen front differential. The system increases grip significantly for the front end of the truck and allows it to pull itself over obstacles and up steep grades, even when the traction is split between the front tires. An internal helical gearset is used to help force torque from the wheel that is losing traction to the wheel with traction. The system is set with a torque bias ratio of 2.5:1 to help multiply torque from wheel to wheel and the preload is set to zero to help minimize steering feedback. To read the full article, click here.
Ford Executive Vice PresidentManufacturing and Labor Affairs Ford Motor Company Recently, there has been much speculation in regards to the ongoing UAW and Ford labor negotiations. Below is a note that Ford Executive Vice President John Fleming sent to employees on Sept. 30, 2011. To: The Ford Team As you know, Ford and the UAW have been working together on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement since late July. Our discussions have become more intense during the last several days, and we are making progress. Both parties are equally committed to working together to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees and that allows Ford to become more competitive. While our talks continue, members of the news media are hungry for details about negotiation developments and are in a race to be the first to report potential outcomes. This has resulted in some highly speculative stories that are, frankly, inaccurate and not based on the facts from those most closely involved in the negotiations. Please know that we feel strongly that our negotiating should be done at the bargaining table directly with the UAW and not through the press. That is why we continue to refrain from commenting on the speculative information that is being reported. To read the note in its entirety, click here.
With its new standard 36-gallon fuel tank, the powerful and fuel-efficient 2012 Ford F-150 EcoBoost® pickup can drive nearly the entire length of California – from Oregon to Mexico – on one tank of gas. Responding to customer demand, F-150 EcoBoost now has a driving range of 756 miles between fill-ups. That long-distance highway cruising range is designed to save F-150 drivers time by reducing stops for fuel. The 2012 F-150 EcoBoost 4x4, for example, can be driven nonstop from Atlanta to Detroit or from Houston to El Paso on a single tank of gas. It can go from Sierra, Calif., to Ram Lake, Ore., with 355 miles to spare. With only one fill-up along the way, the 2012 F-150 EcoBoost can be driven from Silverado, Calif., to Tundra, Texas, at a distance of 1,496 miles. To read the full article, click here.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Ford will celebrate its long-standing commitment to fighting the disease that claims the lives of more than a half million people each year with a month-long series of activities beginning with the symbolic lighting of Ford World Headquarters on Saturday, Oct. 1. The building will be lit each night of the month to honor those whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. This year, Ford marks its 17th year of support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. To date, the company has dedicated more than $110 million to help raise awareness and support the fight against breast cancer. Warriors in Pink Activities Planned for October Warriors in Pink will host activities every Thursday during the month of October at lunchtime – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – at the following Ford locations:
To read the full article, click here.
Ford Motor Company was recently named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute – a leading business ethics think tank. The recognition is awarded to those companies that have leading ethics and compliance programs, particularly as compared to their industry peers. David Leitch, Ford group vice president, Office of The General Counsel, fifth from the right, joined representatives from Ethisphere and other select companies named to the exclusive list this morning to ring the Opening Bell for the New York Stock Exchange. The bell-ringing ceremony was designed to recognize the connection between ethical business practice and increased business performance. To read the full article, click here.
The new Ford SYNC website, www.ford.com/sync, is designed to help visitors understand how and why SYNC® matters by enhancing the instructional approach of the original site with a more experiential feel. Ford web designers said they built the easy-to-use and understand website for anyone interested in SYNC – from those shopping for a SYNC-equipped Ford car or truck who want to know more about the technology to those who have it already. Since the introduction of SYNC in the 2008 Ford Focus, Ford has installed the system on more than 3 million vehicles. Ford’s entire North American retail lineup offers this must-have technology, demonstrating its rapid, consumer-driven adoption. To read the full article, click here.
Ford truck customers now have a new way to confirm they’re making the best possible decision when purchasing an F-150 thanks to the new Head to Head Pickup Comparison tool that in just four simple steps shows the best engine choice for each buyer’s needs. Located on www.ford.com/f150/experiencef150, the tool is an easy and fun way for customers to find the best F-150 engine to fit their needs and to see how it rates on capability and fuel efficiency, especially compared to the competition. Ford is the first auto manufacturer to feature an interactive tool for competitive comparison. Users start off by determining if their truck will be used for work or play, which correlates with a construction site or mountaintop backdrop. They then use a sliding scale of zero to 3,060 pounds to select how much weight they will be hauling. As they do this, items are dropped into the bed of the truck as a depiction of the weight. Depending on if the customer selects work or play, the items include bales of hay, a lawn mower, coolers, barbecue grills, an ATV, a dirt bike or boulders. To read the full article, click here.
Ford Motor Company and Changan Automobile Group broke ground on a new $350 million transmission plant at their joint venture Changan Ford Mazda Automotive. Mulally was joined at the event by Joe Hinrichs, president, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa (APA), and chairman and CEO of Ford China; CFMA Chairman Xu Liuping; Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan; and other officials and executives. Mulally said the new plant will produce advanced six-speed automatic transmissions, and will have an initial capacity of 400,000 units to power Ford vehicles built and sold by CFMA. To read the full article, click here.
Ford Motor Company celebrated the 20th anniversary of its operations in the Czech Republic earlier this month. The event was marked by a high-profile celebration at the Prague residence of the US Ambassador, Norman Eisen. Guests included Ford of Europe Vice President Ian Slater, and Regional Director Hans Schep. Short speeches were delivered by Suresh Kumar from U.S. Department of Commerce, Tomas Dub, Secretary of the Czech Minister of Industry and Commerce and Czech Ford’s CEO Jan Laube, who summarised the history of Ford in the Czech Republic and detailed recent successes, including being the leading importer since 2007. To read the full article, click here.
On an unusually hot and sunny autumn day, visiting the beach rekindled old and exciting memories from the recent summer. Employees from Ford's offices in Shanghai visited Waterside Forest Park, Pudong, China, where the Huangpu and Yangtze Rivers meet and flow into the East China Sea, not to celebrate the Chinese Autumn Festival but instead to work and break a sweat. With rubber hand-gloves, masks, and boxes of garbage bags, the Ford team of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and began to clean the beach blanketed with old shoes, broken bottles, cigarettes, milk cartons and many other forms of trash. This was just one of the many community activities Ford Motor Company conducted during its 2011 Global Week of Caring (GWC) program held throughout its markets in Asia Pacific and Africa (APA). By the time GWC concludes, approximately 3,511 dedicated Ford employees and family members in APA will have devoted a total of 16,566 hard-working hours while participating in the program. The following are just some examples of the beneficial activities each market performed during GWC: Between their Shanghai and Nanjing offices, Ford China cleaned the beach by Waterside Forest Park; grass and small forest clean-up near the Technology Museum; charity sale at the Shanghai office; support for fall outing program for Ming'Xin Autism Training School; and donate and set-up PC room for Huanglong Hope School. To read the full article, click here.
 2011 Motorist Choice Awards Announced, Ford Takes Home Four Honors (Autoblog.com) The 2011 IntelliChoice and AutoPacific Motorist Choice Awards have been announced, and the Blue Oval took home top honors with Ford and Lincoln vehicles winning in six categories. Last year, Toyota and Lexus grabbed the top nod by securing nine wins over various classes. For 2011, that number fell to five. To read the full article, click here. GM Sees 'Minimal' Impact on Profits from UAW Deal GM's Akerson: Not Pleased with Stock Price, Proud of Performance
Toyota Gets Its Stride Back Toyota to Start Selling Plug-In Hybrid From January in Japan OnStar's 'Brazen' Data Tracking Comes Under Fire Auto Industry's Reputation on Mend Game Changers: Look to These Cars to Shake Up Competitive Balance
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Ford Employees
Recreation Association (FERA)
