Ford 2004 Annual Report Download - page 9

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7
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
Because of our history, and our family connection,
we have a special bond with millions of people
around the world. We are not just another
nameless, faceless corporation; people have
strong emotional ties to our company. That
gives us a tremendous opportunity to build on
those family feelings and set ourselves apart.
I have challenged the senior leaders of our
company to establish a true family culture inside
of Ford. We are cultivating a workplace that:
• Attracts and retains the best people.
• Allows them to work to their full potential.
• Encourages continuous development
and mutual benefit.
• Promotes teamwork while embracing
differences and diversity.
A company with family-based values cares about
its shareholders, customers, employees, dealers,
business partners and the community. It works
hard to earn the trust of all the members of this
extended family, and maintain a culture in which
they feel valued and treated fairly. Family-like
behaviors are a solid foundation for building a
winning culture and a high-performance team.
Our first major program under the family-based
concept will be a new initiative called the Ford
Volunteer Corps. The Corps will allow employees
to volunteer for corporate citizenship projects.
Its first major project will be to work with Habitat
for Humanity to build housing and other structures
in the areas hardest hit by the tsunami in Asia.
By fully engaging the hearts and minds of
our employees, we will create an empowered
and innovative team. That will help us build
on the momentum we’ve created and take our
efforts to the next level.
The Road Ahead
We have made good progress in the past
three years. But we still have a lot of work to do.
We are in the final stages of our turnaround,
and the first stages of defining our future. I am
excited about where we are going as a company.
But I also know that our future starts today.
We made progress in many areas in 2004 and
our overall profitability was good. We are going
to maintain our discipline and keep executing our
plan, in 2005 and beyond. We are also going
to build on our unique strengths and capabilities,
so that we can differentiate ourselves from our
competition and deliver value to our shareholders.
We have many challenges to face, but we also have
come a long way in three years. We are operating
in a difficult environment, but we are committed
to delivering results and investing for our future.
We are building great products, a strong
business and a better world. Our goal is to be
the best automotive company in the world.
Thank you for your support of our efforts.
William Clay Ford, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
March 10, 2005
Bill Ford in the Escape Hybrid during the 2004 “Manhattan
on a Tank of Gas” program in New York City. Escape
Hybrid averaged 38 mpg in Manhattan traffic.