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J.D. Power Quality Award for Ford Michigan Truck Plant

17 August 1998

Ford Michigan Truck Accepts Plant Quality Award From J.D. Power; #1 Truck Plant in America

    WAYNE, Mich., Aug. 17 -- Employees of Ford Motor Company's
Michigan Truck Plant celebrated receiving the Bronze Award from J.D.
Power and Associates for producing the third best quality overall and the
highest quality for any truck plant in North America.  J.D. Power III,
chairman of J.D. Power and Associates, presented the award today to Plant
Manager Mike McCarney, UAW Local 900 President Jeff Washington and UAW Plant
Chairman Rick Feldman.
    Michigan Truck's Bronze Award was announced as part of the June Initial
Quality Study (IQS2) by J.D. Power and Associates.  Ford assembly plants set
an unprecedented quality standard this year, dominating the plant quality
awards with the three highest-ranked plants in North America -- St. Thomas
Assembly Plant in St. Thomas, Ontario; the Chicago Assembly Plant; and the
Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Mich.  This sweep of all three assembly plants
in quality awards in North America has never before been accomplished by any
manufacturer.
    Individual awards for the quality of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln
Navigator, which are built at Michigan Truck, were also presented by Power for
being the highest quality trucks in their segments.  The Expedition rates as
the highest quality truck in North America, across all segments.
    "This outstanding performance did not just happen," said Bob Transou,
group vice president, Manufacturing, who congratulated employees at the
celebration.  "It took the team effort of every employee.  Michigan Truck is
an example of what happens when a plant remains committed to continuous
improvement.  It takes commitment, pride, passion and a focus on quality."
    Ford Motor Company has consistently shown positive quality results and
internal measures of initial quality have shown double-digit improvement over
the last three years.  Michigan Truck was also rated number one in the
full-size sport utility car category for assembly plant productivity in the
1998 Harbour Report, released last month.  The Harbour Report is a widely-
recognized and quoted analysis of manufacturing productivity in the North
American automotive industry.
    "Ford's quality momentum is building," said Ken Dabrowski, vice president,
Quality & Process Leadership, who was also present at the celebration.  "We
were leaders last year.  We have the top three North American plants this
year, and we are hard at work at continuing our improvement for 1999."
    Last year, in the 1997 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study,
Ford posted a 28 percent improvement over 1996, the largest improvement ever
by any manufacturer.  In April, Ford was awarded the 1998 J.D. Power
Chairman's Award for Cooperation in Vehicle Quality Improvement, the first
award given by J.D. Power and Associates to officially recognize labor and
management's cooperative and collective efforts to improve quality.