Going Behind the Blue Oval: Ford’s CEO talks trends in alternative materials

By Karen Hudson Samuels/Tell Us Detroit

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) - College students interested in the future of the auto industry were in luck on opening Media Day at the North American International Auto Show.

With Ford leading car companies in the use of alternative materials, as in case of the aluminum body the F-150 Truck of the Year, one student asked about what happens to the American steel industry.

“We love all materials, we love steel, we love aluminum, we’re starting to really love carbon fiber” said Ford CEO Fields who explained that “All those types of materials will continue to play a role somewhere in our vehicles.”

In the case of aluminum what Ford is doing with the F-150 is helping to changing people’s minds, “When you think about it” said Fields “We took the crown jewel of the company, the F-150, the vehicle that drives a good portion of our profitability and we changed it over to aluminum and showed people we can re-invent Built Ford Tough.”

The biggest issue with any the new materials, versus steel, is cost explained Fields. The higher costs of introducing a new material into a product have to be released in greater revenue and quality.

This week Fields said Ford will announce a new joint venture with Dow Chemical on carbon fiber “We will be looking at techniques on how we can have high volume manufacturing to get costs down.”

With the Baby Boom generation reaching retirement, one U of M student wanted to know how Ford is addressing losing its “higher ups”. Fields said “Well that’s lots of opportunity for your guys!” adding, “In any company I feel you have to have a combination of experience and potential.”

Over the last few years, Ford has hired some 9,000 U.S. salaried employees which Fields says energizes the company, “What new folks get is great mentoring and education and it allows us to move quickly in the future on new technologies.”

Students paid close attention as Fields explained Ford’s new hire process that involves two days of orientation on the history of the company, the design and development process and then the manufacture and marketing of vehicles. “It’s a welcome to the Ford family” said Fields.

And in a final pitch the Ford CEO implored the students to consider a career in the auto industry, “one of the most exciting industries in the world.”