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Buell Forum » Court in Session » Archive through July 12, 2012 » Hooray for the real Americans . . . . « Previous Next »

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Court
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 06:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I'm loving what The Elves, their numbers are rapidly increasing, are doing in East Troy. While the small and the silly lament about "rebuilding Buell", like anyone would want to recreate the mess HD made, this small group of folks have crafted a plan to do EVERYTHING different. Many talk about learning from the past, few deliver.

Some of us, arguably the "age familiar" among us, recall when American Manufacturing was the envy of the world. Our parents were the one's in the WWII factories that rose to the challenge, made pennies out of steel to preserve Copper, and were building battles ships at the rate of one about every 10 days. The same folks, as the World Trade Center climbs skyward, who built the Empire State Building during the depression . . 13 months from the first shovel in the ground to tenants in offices.

I'm watching what's happening at East Troy . . . and seeing a group of people pursuing excellence like a man held underwater would go after a breath of air.

Need a precursor . . . look at what Ford has done in America. While folks were whining, crying like babies and standing before the doors of Congress with their collective hands out wanting "government help" . . . Ford put $600,000,000 into their Louisville plant.

The went to the business model mattresses, looked at their product line and literally started over . . . pursuing a "World Ford" strategy of aligning products globally.

I bought one of the first 2012 Focus Titaniums and the word "impressed" falls short of describing my impression. Knowing that one of our own Badwebbers was involved in the testing and certification of the Eco-Boost motors . . I've been following them, in both the F-150 and the upcoming Focus ST.

Well, as I went to place the order for the Focus ST . . . . I started reading about what Ford had done with the 2012 "One World Ford" Escape. Essentially they ditched everything and started from scratch.

There was pretty much everything I was looking for. Killer performance, AWD, HID lighting, MyFordTouch, lots of room (about double the Focus), trailering capacity for a bike trailer and all the amenities you'd pay about $11,000 to get as option packages in your Mercedes-Benz.

While others were begging for handouts, Ford was retrenching, finding a sort of corporate self reliance, looking at the talent among it's workers, engineers and designers and decided to take the world on.

Interesting STUFF what they did with the $600,000,000 investment in themselves . . . . I suspect we're poised to see a 2-wheeled version of this story.

It's high time, following the first month in history where more folks (85,000) applied for unemployment disability rather than unemployment, we told our leaders we're not going down this sit on your ass and wait for someone to give you a scholarship, a cellphone or a job and return to relying on our fortitude, education, skill and determination.

Just saying . . . .
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Reepicheep
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 09:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

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Arcticktm
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 11:59 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

The "take rate" for the EcoBoost motor option in the F150 is doing better than expected. Hopefully it is dispelling the notion that customers will only see a V8 as a real truck option.
At 2 turbos/engine, it is funding expansion, and there is plenty more in process!
All designed and tested in the US. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for all the production locations, but reality is reality.
Help Wanted, but only if you have the education, or some special technical skill, these days. It's the only way we will stay ahead of low cost/low standard of living places. We have to always get better and stay ahead. Once you decide you know enough, and stand still, you will get passed.
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