Ford Donates $10 Million For New Georgia Tech Research Facility

    ATLANTA, March 1 Ford Motor Company is donating
$10 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology for construction of a new
environmental science and technology building.
    The new facility, to be called the Ford Motor Company Environmental
Science and Technology Building, will become one of the nation's largest
research centers for sustainable technology, it was announced today at
ceremonies here on the university campus.  This technology will enable global
economic development without compromising the environment.
    "It takes great research universities like Georgia Tech and great global
corporations like Ford Motor Company to jointly assume the responsibility of
pursuing a sustainable environment for future generations," said Frank Taylor,
vice president, Material Planning and Logistics, Ford Motor Company.  "Ford is
proud to help take the lead in developing meaningful solutions to
environmental challenges that benefit our customers, shareholders, our
employees and society."
    At 287,000 square feet, the new Ford Motor Company Environmental Science
and Technology Building will be the largest component of a new four-building
complex currently under construction.  One of the features of the Ford ES&T
building will be a Technology Development Center -- a "corporate incubator" to
facilitate transfer of technology from the academic laboratory to the
marketplace.
    "Georgia Tech already is a recognized leader in creating sustainable
technologies, solving environmental problems, and educating students to view
their professions through the prism of sustainability," said university
President G. Wayne Clough.  "The Environmental Science and Technology Building
will take our efforts to a new level, and we are very pleased to have Ford
Motor Company as a partner in this effort."
    Approximately 80 faculty and their graduate research students, primarily
from the colleges of Engineering and Sciences, will develop technological
solutions that support a more sustainable environment.  These include recycled
and recyclable products made with benign materials and processes, technologies
that reduce the effects of global climate change and methods for soil
remediation.
    Ford has had a presence in Atlanta for nearly a century.  The company is
responsible for more than 3,400 jobs in the metro region and has donated more
than $2 million to Atlanta organizations in the past year, supporting,
education, environmental initiatives, health research and the arts.  In the
past 40 years, Ford has been a major corporate contributor to Georgia Tech,
donating more than $4.6 million.
    As the world's second largest automaker, Ford has approximately 335,000
employees in 200 markets on six continents.  Its automotive brands include
Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo.
Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz.