Ford loses $284 million, predicts plant closings - October 2005

[Marc]

GM stumbles, Ford dropping, too. Oh, what will become of the US automotive industry? From Reuters:

Ford loses $284 million, predicts plant closings
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor (F) reported a third-quarter loss of $284 million Thursday, dragged down by its North American division where it lost more than $1 billion, and said it is developing a restructuring plan that will include "significant" U.S. plant closings and staff reductions.

Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford said the automaker will announce the restructuring plan in January. He said the plan is painful but essential and would affect salaried workers and hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers.

"This is not a sacrifice we will ask only the UAW and its members to share. There will be sacrifices throughout the company, top to bottom," Ford said in a conference call with investors and media. "Our industry is beginning a dramatic restructuring which is sorely needed. While the challenges are great, so are the opportunities."

The nation's second biggest automaker lost 15 cents a share for the three months ended Sept. 30 in contrast to a profit of $266 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.

'SIGNIFICANT' CLOSINGS AHEAD

Ford chief Bill Ford Jr. said Thursday the automaker will announce a restructuring plan in January that will include "significant plant closings." "Our industry is beginning a dramatic restructuring which is sorely needed," Bill Ford said on a conference call. "We have some difficult days ahead of us.""We need a dramatically different business structure," he added.

Revenue for the quarter rose to $40.9 billion from $39.1 billion.

Excluding special items, Ford lost $191 million, or 10 cents a share. Special items included a charge of $180 million related to Ford's agreement to take back some unprofitable plants from Visteon (VC), its former parts division, and a charge of $158 million for reduction of employees. Ford has announced plans to cut its salaried staff by 2,750 this year.

Wall Street had predicted a loss of 10 cents a share, according to analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.

Ford said full-year earnings likely will be at the low end of the current guidance of $1 to $1.25 a share.

"For all the progress, we recognize we're very far from the finish line," Bill Ford said. "We need a dramatically different business structure and we need innovation to drive everything we do."

It's the first loss for the automaker since the fourth quarter of 2003.

Ford reported a $1.2 billion pretax loss in its North American automotive operations, compared to a $481 million loss. The automaker said lower dealer inventories, lower net pricing and higher material and warranty costs contributed to the decline.

Ford Motor Credit, the company's finance arm, reported a profit of $577 million, down $157 million. The decrease was due to higher borrowing costs, the company said.

Ford also announced Thursday it will be airing a new television ad campaign featuring Bill Ford talking about innovation, including the company's goal of creating more fuel-efficient vehicles. Ford announced last month it will make gas-electric hybrid systems available on half its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles by 2010.

It is the first time Bill Ford has appeared in ads for the company since 2002. Bill Ford is the great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford.

Ford is the second U.S. automaker to report a loss this week. On Monday, General Motors (GM) said it lost $1.6 billion in the third quarter, or $2.89 a share, compared to a profit of $315 million, or 56 cents a share.

GM also announced a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers that would lower the automaker's health care costs by $3 billion a year before taxes and would lower its retiree health care liabilities by $15 billion, or 25%. GM's hourly workers still must ratify the deal.

Ford has said it is already in discussions with the UAW to match that agreement.

Ford said its worldwide automotive pretax losses were $1.3 billion for the quarter. That is more than double the $609 million loss of a year ago. Worldwide sales were 1.5 million vehicles, up slightly from the year before.

The company's Premier Automotive Group, which includes the Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover brands, reported a pretax loss of $108 million, compared with a $171 million loss. Ford said the increase was due to a better mix of products and improved pricing at Land Rover.

Ford's European operations reported a pretax loss of $55 million, compared with $33 million. Ford's Asia-Pacific operations reported a pretax profit of $21 million, a decline from $35 million.

[Wes Bucey]

Deja vu of United States steel industry!

American corporations refused to upgrade plants to make small custom batches of JIT-delivered metal alloys and blamed their demise on the high cost of labor. The bottom line truth was they refused to meet customer requirements for customized products with a short lead time.

When the companies had profits and money which could have been invested in innovation and efficiency, steel companies chose to increase their dividends.

When foreign competitors began nipping at their heels, they chose to invest money in lobbying politicians to impose tariffs on the foreign competitors instead of in innovation and efficiency.

Finally, when the buildings constructed on sand began to crumble, the steel managers said, "Hey labor! It's all your fault! You built the house the way I wanted and where I wanted. Now see what you did!"

So tell me. Why is the echo of the steel manager's words coming out of the auto manager's lips?