August 12, 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 www.blueovalconnect.com. In this Blue Oval Connect Weekly Briefing…
We Want to Know What You Think! As Ford alumni, we welcome your input and would appreciate your support in answering a few brief questions regarding the mass communications the company provides which are available to retirees in the U.S. (i.e. @Ford magazine, @Ford Online, Blue Oval Connect, etc.). Please note, this survey is about company news communications and about the company in general, NOT about benefits or pension communications. We plan to use these survey results to continue to improve and fine tune our efforts in communicating with you, our Ford Alumni.
To take the brief online survey, click here or cut and
paste this URL into your browser: http://bit.ly/FordRetireeCommunicationSurvey2011.
The Peer Support volunteer group will end its services in December 2011, which coincides with the Annual Enrollment Period running this year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Our email service will close Sept. 15 but until that time questions can be sent to peer-support@ford-umbrella-group.org. The website http://www.ford-umbrella-group.org will function through December and be minimally updated. We believe that much of the material on the site may be helpful to Salaried Retirees considering changing their Medicare Supplemental coverage or for those nearing age 65 and starting Medicare. Occasional BOC messages will continue into December in response to important announcements concerning Medicare coverage and procedures or health care issues specific to Michigan. This was a difficult decision for our team and was made only after careful consideration of changes that had taken place in our operations and in our cooperative relationship with Ford. For those interested, further detail can be found on our website. Our volunteers have gotten great satisfaction from being able to help Ford Medicare colleagues since 2008.
The latest issue of @Ford for North America is out now, featuring stories about Ford's involvement in the gaming industry, a new consumer experience at dealerships, plant ergonomics, fuel-efficiency standards and more.
Click here to view an
electronic version of the publication.
Ford Global Week of Caring is Sept. 10-18, 2011. Time to check out the new Ford Volunteer Corps website and help create a better world! Join a volunteer project through Model Teams.
Click here to check out the new
site and get involved!
Take a smarter look at luxury now during the Lincoln Summer Exclusive Sales Event. 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 is a great time to get behind the wheel of the best-selling brand in America.1 Best-selling because you don't have to sacrifice or compromise. You can get a quality-built Ford car, truck, SUV or CUV and save. Check out Ford Taurus, the most innovative full-size sedan in America.2 Take a look at the available SYNC® with MyFord Touch™,3 which puts 10,000 commands at your fingertips, available in the new 2012 Ford Focus. And, of course, don't forget F-Series pickups, simply the best-selling trucks for 34 years running. See your local Ford Dealer now to take advantage of the Best Place To Be Sales Event. Click here for more information on this event.
Disclaimer:
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The 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson™ F-150 delivers on the custom cool design the lineup is known for, with new snakeskin leather interior accents and a stylized bodyside graphic. Also new are the wheel and premium paint color. Combine that with a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine and plenty of technology, and it delivers power, capability and style like no other. The exterior of the 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 offers a bold front fascia and six-bar billet-style bright chrome grille, and it boasts "Harley-Davidson" bright chrome badging. The truck also has a lowered appearance with a standard, fully integrated deployable running board. Also standard are new 22-inch machined-aluminum wheels with painted accents and Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo on center cap. The paint selection is classic Harley-Davidson – Tuxedo Black and White Platinum Tri-coat; this is the first year white has been offered. The successful collaboration between Ford and Harley-Davidson has produced 10 F-150 models, as well as six Super Duty F-250 and F-350 models, and in 2009 the first Harley-Davidson F-450 edition truck. Ford has sold more than 70,000 Ford Harley-Davidson F-Series trucks since the brands teamed up in 1999.
To read the full article, click here.
Related Material:
In an effort to further emphasize the importance of employee health and safety conditions in its Michigan manufacturing facilities, Ford Motor Company and Automotive Components Holdings (ACH) have renewed a partnership with the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). The partnership agreement covers all Ford Motor Company manufacturing facilities, including the company's ACH locations. The agreement aims to continuously reduce work-related injuries and illnesses at the company's Michigan manufacturing locations by optimizing the resources of the partners in the development and administration of plant health and safety standards.
To read the full article, click here.
With its powerful and fuel-efficient 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, the 365-horsepower Ford F-150 EcoBoost® is outselling all other competitive six-cylinder trucks combined. The new EcoBoost V6 is one of four new fuel-efficient engines Ford introduced in the F-150 for 2011. Another of those new engines – a 3.7-liter, 302-horsepower V6 – also outsells all other competitive V6 engines in full-sized trucks from Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge and Toyota. According to sales data from J.D. Power and Associates, both new Ford truck V6 engines accounted for 79.5 percent market share of V6 full-sized trucks sold in July. The Chevrolet Silverado takes second place with 12.1 percent market share, followed by the GMC Sierra with 4.0 percent, the Dodge Ram with 3.5 percent and the Toyota Tundra with 0.9 percent. Nissan does not offer a V6 in its Titan pickup. In July, Ford sold 49,104 F-Series trucks. The EcoBoost V6 accounted for 40 percent of the mix, while the 3.7-liter took 16 percent of sales. This is the third consecutive month that V6s have outsold V8s in the F-Series. The last time the V6 outsold the V8 in America’s most popular truck was 1985. Year to date, the F-Series has sold 313,183 units, 8 percent higher than a year ago.
To read the full article, click here.
Ford and SunPower Corp. have teamed up to offer customers a rooftop solar system that will allow Focus Electric owners to "Drive Green for Life" by providing customers with enough clean, renewable energy to offset the electricity used to charge the vehicle. Under the "Drive Green for Life" program, Focus Electric owners can reduce their total cost of ownership by generating enough energy from their high efficiency SunPower rooftop solar system to offset the electricity required to charge the vehicle at night. The 2.5 kilowatt rooftop solar system is comprised of the SunPower® E18 Series solar panels that produce an average of 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. These high-efficiency solar panels generate approximately 50 percent more electricity than conventional panels and utilize a smaller footprint on the roof. The system was sized to accommodate a customer who drives about 1,000 miles per month. In addition to the Focus Electric, the SunPower rooftop solar system will be compatible with the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Ford is rolling out in 2012.
To read the full article, click here.
Ford Motor Company today announced a realignment of its global Product Development leadership team, naming Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Product Programs, to the position of vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. Effective Sept. 1, Samardzich, 52, will oversee all Product Development activities in the European region. She will report to Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe and Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. In addition to the Ford of Europe Product Development team, Samardzich will continue to lead Ford's Global Vehicle Engineering, Noise Vibration and Harshness, and Global Vehicle Evaluation and Verification teams. These teams have reported to her since January. In her new role, Samardzich replaces Frank Davis, who recently took on a new North American assignment.
To read the full article, click here.
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A one-of-a-kind "Blue Angels"edition 2012 Ford Mustang GT produced by a select design and engineering team at Ford Motor Company sold for $400,000 at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction last week. The auction took place during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, the world's greatest aviation celebration. A man from California purchased the vehicle. All proceeds from the car donation and sale will benefit the EAA Young Eagles organization, which has provided free introductory flights to more than 1.6 million young people since 1992 while also teaching the value of hard work, personal responsibility and enhanced math and science skills.
To read the full article, click here.
Saving a few dollars, getting a little exercise in the sun or prepping your classic for a summer cruise are just a few reasons to clean your vehicle by hand. Besides, a freshly-washed and cleaned car just looks better, right? Here are a few tips from Ford for the next time you're in the mood to grab a hose and a bucket to make the star of your driveway look its best. For more tips on cleaning your car interior, engine and more, please click to read the full article on @Ford Online.
To read the full article, click here.
Related Material:
The 2011 UNCF Walk for Education on Aug. 27 in Detroit is an opportunity for Ford Motor Company and the community to help students get the college education they need – and our nation needs them to have – in order to compete in a global economy. Registration for the Walk begins at 8 a.m. at the Belle Isle Casino. There will be fun-filled activities for the entire family. To register for the walk or to donate or support a walker, visit the UNCF website at: http://give.uncf.org/site/TR?company_id=6794&fr_id=1601&pg=company UNCF awards more than 10,000 scholarships through more than 400 scholarship, internship, fellowship and institutional grants that support students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. UNCF scholarships are open to everyone for both UNCF and traditional colleges.
To read the full article, click here.
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Ford of Britain has introduced a special edition Fiesta model to celebrate the company's centenary. The Centura celebrates the 100th anniversary of Ford in Britain and pays tribute to the first Ford vehicle to be manufactured in the U.K., the Model T in 1911. Available exclusively in black, the model is based on the Fiesta Zetec and boasts a comprehensive list of additional standard equipment, including metallic Panther Black paint, chrome mirror and door caps, LED daylight running lights, 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, reverse parking sensors and a parking camera mounted in the rear view mirror. Just 1,000 Centura special editions will be available.
To read the full article, click here.
Ford was one of the big winners in "The Best of Brazil" election, held by Jornal do Carro – the country's most respected automotive supplement and a reference in the sector – in its anniversary edition issued on Aug. 3. Ford was one of the only automakers to win three (Entry Hatch, Ford Ka; Medium Hatchback, Ford Focus; Big Sedan, Ford Fusion) of the 17 categories, along with Volkswagen and Renault. The supplement, which completed 29 years, compared more than 170 models priced up to R$ 100,000 (U.S. $61,462).
To read the full article, click here.
Ford leaped all the way to the number two ranking, up from number nine last year, in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) study for Thailand, making Ford the most improved brand of all automakers assessed. Ford attributes the significant move in ranking to an intense and continued focus on further enhancing customer touch-points through its Quality Care process, such as interactive reception at dealers, menu pricing, proactive customer contact, scheduling appointments, explanations at vehicle pick up, and post-service follow-up. The customer service experience also benefitted from new programs such as Ford's 24-hour spare parts delivery guarantee, body shop quality care and mobile service. The industry benchmark CSI study examines dealership performance among competitive brands in five categories, listed in order of importance: service quality, vehicle pick up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation. Ford's score of 825 on a 1,000-point scale was a substantial improvement of 19 points from last year.
To read the full article, click here.
![]() Lincoln Gets its Own Design Team and Studio Within Ford (AutoBlog.com) Ford has big plans for Lincoln. The luxury brand from Dearborn has been producing solid machinery as of late, but its vehicles often seem to get lost in the shuffle. The cars look too much like their Ford-branded siblings, and that means a major injection of new style is in order and quick. That's just what Ford has in mind, and Lincoln will now have its own in-house design studio working right alongside the Product Development team. To read the full article, click here.
Legendary Mustangs
the Stars at Ford Car Show
Ford Motor Deserves
More Respect From Investors, Bank of America
Says
GM's Wuling
Venture Reaches for the Masses in China
Honda May Cut
Profit Forecast as Market Turmoil Threatens Sales,
CFO Says
Nissan Motor to
Introduce 'Leaf to Home' Power-Supply
System
Obama Announces New
Fuel Standards for Heavy Vehicles
Why Cars Are
Getting Geekier
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Location:
Desk hours:
Club Information:
Fun and Travel FERA Discounts:
For more FERA information, click to http://www.fera.org/.
![]() Directory Information Now Online Phone numbers and email addresses for important Ford Motor Company contacts can now be found on @Ford Online at: http://www.at.ford.com/B2B/Pages/Directory2.aspx. For benefit questions, please contact the NESC at 1-800-248-4444 or email NESC@ford.com.
![]() Click here to check out the @Ford Online listing of known Retiree Clubs and Groups.
Atlanta Salaried Retirees
Automatic Transmission Product Design &
Engineering Retiree Breakfast Club
Building "H" Club – Michigan
Information Technology Systems Retirees
Buffalo Stamping Salaried Retirees
Canadian Ford Alumni
Chicago Stamping Plant Retiree Reunion
(Lexington, Tenn.)
Chicago Stamping Plant Salaried Retiree
Club
Cincinnati Transmission Plants Salaried
Retirees Club
Cleveland Engine and Casting Plants Salaried
Retiree Club (North Olmsted, Ohio)
Dearborn Assembly Plant Retirees
Dearborn Assembly Retiree Breakfast Club
Dearborn Engine & Fuel Tank Retirees
Dearborn Frame Plant Retirees (Southfield,
Mich.)
Field Accounting Department (F.A.D.)
Ford 5R55 Automatic Transmission Systems
Design Retirees Group
Ford Air Transportation Office Retirees
Ford Body & Assembly Operations/Vehicle
Operations Salaried Retiree Luncheon
Ford of Canada Ladies' Retirees
Group
Ford Chassis Retirees Breakfast (Livonia,
Mich.)
Ford Dearborn Engine & Fuel Tank
Retirees
Ford FCSD Retiree Lunch Club-GB
Ford Glass UAW Local 737 Retirees
Ford Human Resources Retiree Group
Ford Old Timers Club
Ford Pensionaerverein Saarlouis e.V.
Ford PRC
Ford Retired Workers Chapter 906 of Mahwah,
N.J.
Ford Retirees Club of The Villages
Florida
Ford Rouge Plant Railroad Operations Retiree
Group
Ford Rouge Transportation Retirees
Ford Salaried Retirees Association
Ford Salaried Retirees Club –
Louisville Kentucky
Ford Technical Illustration and Graphics
Retirees – EEE, Bldg. 3, FMCC, WHQ
(Northville, Mich.)
Ford Tool and Die Skilled Trades
Retirees
Frame Plant Survivors Salaried Retirees
FRAW (Ford Rawsonville Area Women)
Retirees
Indianapolis Ford Retirees
Kansas City Ford Salaried Retiree Club
Local 723 Retirees
Lorain Local 425 Retirees
Manatee-Sarasota County Florida, Ford
Retirees
Maumee Ford Retirees
Nebraska – Iowa Ford Retirees (Omaha,
Neb.)
Norfolk Ford Assembly Plant Retirees
PDC/Body Engineering Illustration
Retirees
Plant Engineering Office Retirees
Product Development, Body Design and
Engineering Retirees
Research Laboratory Retiree Brunch Club
Rouge Office Building Retired Cafeteria
Workers
St. Louis Assembly Plant Salaried Retiree
Club
UAW Eastern Carolina Retirees
UAW Local 1219 Retirees
UAW Local 1895 Retirees Meeting and
Luncheon
USA Ford UAW Local 600
Van Dyke Plant Retiree Luncheon Club
(Sterling Heights, Mich.)
Has your email address changed? Click here to update your email address. If you have difficulty reading or opening links in this document, Blue Oval Connect Weekly Briefings are archived in the http://www.at.ford.com/news/Publications/Pages/BlueOvalConnect.aspx @Ford Online Team: Publisher: Sara Tatchio Associate Publisher: Jenn Corney Managing Editor: Terra Donnelly You received this email because you opted in to receive email communications from Blue Oval Connect. Please note that we have updated the Privacy Policy for BlueOvalConnect.com. We have also added to the site a statement relating to "Your California Privacy Rights." To review these documents, click to www.blueovalconnect.com/privacy_policy.cfm and http://www.blueovalconnect.com/california_privacy.cfm To opt out of receiving email communications from Blue Oval Connect click here. Blue Oval Connect, One American Road, Dearborn, MI 48126 |