Gerald Reid, process coach, A-Crew Chassis, joined Ford immediately after high school. Five and a half years later, he said the journey continues to be a great one.

“It’s been a very strong learning curve adjusting to the plant life,” he said. “I can say it's a special place and the best job I’ve ever had.”

Prior to joining Ford, Reid spent time working for McDonald’s and Amazon. Immediately after graduating high school, he came to Dearborn Truck Plant as a production floor tech working on chassis 2 engine line.

He spent four years working and learning about production and the plant. After that time, he was promoted to his current position.

“My favorite aspect of my current role is being able to see everything from a bird's eye view,” he said. “I can see everything and how all the moving parts come together as one. This position really gives you a different perspective of how large this place actually is and how things come together to make a final product. It’s a really cool thing to see.”

Reid’s top priority is his people. He keeps safety at the forefront of his mind and works to ensure the team has what they need to get the job done. 

“Being the person responsible for other’s people safety is a huge thing,” he said. “The main challenge I face is just ensuring everyone is safe and the environment is safe. Each day, I need to make sure my team has everything they need to be successful, and not everything is always easily accessible.”

Having worked as a production floor tech, Reid knows the challenges presented to the team on the floor. He said he taps into that experience to help him be better at his current job.

“Not only do I know what it’s like for our team, but I know much more about the processes,” he said. “I know what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and where it's done at. If i see a park or a defect, I can i can track it to the exact location where it's supposed to be done and get a clean point cut off.”

Reid looks forward to the future and seeing what lies ahead. He knows his path with Ford is a bright one.

“I could see myself being a manager here,” he said. “I can see that happening in my future. As I said, this has been the best job I’ve ever had. I will go wherever they need me to go.”