Ford Maintains Sales Leadership in Ohio
3 April 2000
Ford Maintains Sales Leadership in OhioCLEVELAND, March 31 According to R.L. Polk's 1999 vehicle registrations, Ford had five of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in Ohio. The Ford F-Series maintained the no. 1 position as best-selling truck, while the Ford Taurus ranked no. 2 as the best-selling car. Ford F-Series trucks have occupied the top spot nationally for 18-straight years, making it the best- selling vehicle in 1999 with 869,313 sold (up 4 percent from 1998), the most for any model in the U.S. in the past two decades. In 1999, Ohio drivers registered approximately 195,760 new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand cars and trucks. Ford Motor Company's Ford Division had 163,839 registrations, of which 58,021 were cars and 105,818 were trucks and minivans. Ford Division has 378 dealers in the state. Lincoln Mercury had 31,921 registrations in the state, of which 24,316 were cars and 7,605 were trucks and minivans. Lincoln Mercury has 115 dealers in Ohio, some of which are shared with Ford Division. Known informally as Ford's second home, Ohio has the largest number of Ford employees outside of Michigan. Ford is one of Ohio's largest private- sector employers. The company last year paid its 18,471 Ohio-based employees over $1.5 billion in salaries and wages. Ford has a diverse workforce with employees at 11 manufacturing facilities and additional administrative offices in the state. Manufacturing and assembly facilities are in Lorain, Avon Lake, Walton Hills, Maumee, Lima, Sharonville, Batavia, Sandusky and Brook Park. In the past year, Ford significantly contributed to Ohio's economy in several other ways. The company paid the state more than $30.8 million in real estate and personal (machinery and equipment) property taxes. In addition, Ford spent over $4 billion for production components from approximately 209 Ohio-based suppliers. As a consumer-focused company, Ford's activities include the sales of vehicles, auto parts and auto services, financial services, steel and plastic stamping operations, the production of iron castings, the manufacture of engines of numerous configurations and displacements, the manufacture of transmissions and the assembly of cars and trucks. In 1999, Ford continued construction on a new aluminum casting plant in Brook Park. The plant will produce aluminum cylinder blocks for a new engine program. It will use a natural-gas aluminum melting furnace, 10 core making machines, two rollover pouring machines, a shot blast cleaning system, a natural gas holding furnace and a sand handling system. In addition, Ford's Ohio plants have reported significant improvements in energy use, waste minimization and recycling, water treatment and air pollution. The Sandusky plant uses recycled nylon resin to mold air cleaner assemblies for most of Ford's North American vehicles. The Ohio Assembly Plant recycles drums and consolidates waste. The drums are cleaned using a cryogenic cleaning process, triple rinsed and crushed for scrap steel. The Cleveland Casting Plant melts the steel and recasts it into new engine blocks. Also, Ford and AF Friedrichshafen AG produced an environmentally friendly Continuously Variable Automatic Transmissions (CVTs) at the Batavia Transmission Plant. CVTs increase fuel economy by approximately 10 to 15 percent. Ford Motor Credit Company, the world's largest automotive financing company, has 252 employees working in five branches in the state. Ford Credit has won more J.D. Power awards for customer satisfaction in automotive financing than any other finance provider. Finally, Ford Motor Company Fund contributed more than $3.4 million to state charities. Ford and its employees contributed over $586,000 in 1999 to 56 Ohio institutions for programs to advance education. Also, Ford financially supported Ohio environment, arts and humanities, health and social welfare, civic activities, and public policy initiatives. For the latest information about Ford Motor Company, click on the Internet at http://www.ford.com . Top 10 Truck Nameplates Top 10 Car Nameplates (In Ohio, CY 1999) (In Ohio, CY 1999) 1.) F-Series 34,670 1.) Camry 22,123 2.) Silverado 21,948 2.) Taurus 19,842 3.) Ranger 20,500 3.) Cavalier 19,836 4.) Explorer 17,072 4.) Accord 19,476 5.) S-10 16,903 5.) Escort 18,076 6.) Ram 15,712 6.) Grand Am 15,775 7.) Caravan 14,620 7.) Civic 15,766 8.) Blazer 13,503 8.) Malibu 12,939 9.) Windstar 13,254 9.) Corolla 11,248 10.) Grand Cherokee 12,653 10.) Century 10,134 Top 10 Car & Truck Nameplates (in Ohio, CY 1999) 1.) F-Series 34,670 2.) Camry 22,123 3.) Silverado 21,948 4.) Ranger 20,500 5.) Taurus 19,842 6.) Cavalier 19,836 7.) Accord 19,476 8.) Escort 18,076 9.) Explorer 17,072 10.) S-10 16,903