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The Bronco6g community was informed about the delay in ordering and delivers by a dealer leak from @XCR440 at this thread:
Breaking news: January ordering, Summer delivery, Black First Edition interior, no manual Sasquatch & more
Now it looks like we are getting the first official press release from Ford via freep.com.
Ford and its Bronco fans have been counting the minutes until delivery.
Ford cuts contract workers effective immediately, declines to say how many
Breaking news: January ordering, Summer delivery, Black First Edition interior, no manual Sasquatch & more
Now it looks like we are getting the first official press release from Ford via freep.com.
Ford and its Bronco fans have been counting the minutes until delivery.
And more layoffs at Ford..."Look, from the day that Ford said, 'We’re bringing the Bronco back,' the world went nuts. They delivered a vehicle that looks terrific and the world went nuts again. They've got all these orders, very high expectations and now, delay," McElroy said.
"This is total deflation. It's going to be disappointing for everybody. They’re going to get the revenue anyway (at Ford), but it sure would be nice to start booking it right now. And if it's affecting this launch, what about the Mach-E or F-Series?"
Ford declined to comment on whether the supply chain problems would impact other launches or production in general. Ford also declined to say what part of the supply chain was disrupted as it related to Bronco.
Supply chain worries
Jeoff Burris, founder of Plymouth-based Advanced Purchasing Dynamics, a supply chain consultant to auto suppliers primarily in North America, said the industry is bracing for new problems caused by the coronavirus.
"It's not a surprise. I’ve been hearing stories for the last few months about continued supplier disruption due to COVID issues and auto manufacturers having to deploy resources into supplier facilities," he said. "They’ll supply purchasing, quality and engineering people to suppliers to help manage the situation. As a purchasing person at Ford Motor Company for 13 years, I was deployed multiple times. You develop a skill set around resolving production issues."
But clearly, the current issues are overwhelming and devastating for a company with a new CEO who is eager to meet customer demand and Wall Street expectations.
"It's a big deal," Burris said. "It’s letting air out of a positive marketing balloon. Ford is on a roll from a brand standpoint with the Mustang Mach-E and the Bronco. The cost of having an assembly line off line and not being productive is huge, in the millions."
GM, Toyota, too
Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader, said Ford is not alone in feeling pain.
"We have seen problems with the supply chain due to the pandemic that have slowed and even forced the halt of production, so this comes as no surprise," she said. "It is not catastrophic. It is understandable."
She pointed to General Motors shutting down Corvette production and said Toyota has had problems with its truck plants.
"It's happening across the board," Krebs said. "Ford has done better than most getting back up to speed. It's frankly shocking the supply chain has held up as well as it has."
The auto industry shut down from March to May at the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
Bronco Nation reaction
Jeff King, vice president and general manager of Bozard Ford Lincoln in St. Augustine, Florida, had just returned from birthday golf to discover the Bronco news.
"I'm not freaked out over it," King told the Free Press. "I wish it didn't happen but we're going to be OK. And it'll be great when it gets here."
Ford notified dealers via email just after 4 p.m. on Friday, he said.
Jeff King, vice president and general manager at Bozard Ford Lincoln in St. Augustine, Florida, pictured here at his dealership in July 2019, said business is steady. He's taking measures to keep customers and workers safe.
Across the country in California, Mark Brooks said he was grateful for the heads-up.
Transparency from the company is always good, he said. Bronco communication from Ford in the past has had "hiccups" and enthusiasts appreciate knowing that their constructive criticism for more information more quickly is heard. He noted exchanges on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Bronco Nation board sites late Friday.
Mark Brooks, a credit union manager from Sacramento, Calif., is pictured outside his home on Dec. 4, 2020 with his 2016 Mustang. He has reserved a 2021 Velocity Blue Ford Bronco and just learned delivery will be delayed a few months due to COVID-19. He said, "I'm sure it's going to be worth the wait."
"I got my reservation back in July," said Brooks, 50, a credit union manager from Sacramento. "I've been on pins and needles since."
A lot of changes have unfolded in recent months, he said. "We waited this long. I'm bummed. But it's not the end of the world."
Brooks plans to order Velocity Blue. "I'm sure it's going to be worth the wait."
For now, he'll plan to drive his 2016 Ford Mustang through the summer of 2021.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2020/12/04/covid-19-delays-2021-ford-bronco/3831100001/
Ford cuts contract workers effective immediately, declines to say how many
Ford Motor Co. ended the first week of December confirming publicly that delivery of its 2021 Ford Bronco would be delayed, and then informing contract employees their commitments would be terminated.
Contract workers were notified by their agency employers late Friday that "their assignment at Ford has ended," Ford spokesman Ian Thibodeau confirmed to the Free Press.
Cuts were effective immediately upon notice, Thibodeau said.
"This adjustment is part of our continued effort to refine the work we need to do and the people required to do it," he said.
He declined to say how many people had been let go and which departments had been affected.
Ford has long- and short-term employees working on contract in areas including engineering product development, purchasing and information technology.
Engineers, for example, may work years on product launches at Ford though technically employed by an outside agency. Contract employees are rarely given severance or health care; their pay ends immediately.
The Free Press reached out to an accomplished engineer who was among those just cut. He declined to discuss details about how many colleagues had lost their jobs, saying the only priority now is finding work during this Christmas season and figuring out how to support a family.
Other contract engineers declined to respond to requests for comment.
Salaried employees
Also Friday, U.S. salaried employees learned that the buyout opportunity announced in September had closed and that no additional cuts would occur in 2020.
The number of Ford employees retiring as part of the Voluntary Incentive Program fell "within the range" of a goal stated previously, Thibodeau said. "There will be no further salaried retirements or separations associated with the program."
He declined to say whether cuts would be made in early 2021, as sometimes occurs after contract workers are eliminated at companies.
"We will continue to adjust our resources as we align with the priorities ... in the plan" outlined by CEO Jim Farley, Thibodeau said. "We’ll inform our employees directly of any measures in the future, though there is nothing to share at this time."
On Sept. 8, Ford emailed employees the details of a severance package with a goal of shedding at least 1,400 U.S. jobs by the end of 2020. The last day of employment would be Dec. 31.
Targeted employees had 30 years of service, were age 55 and older with 10 years of service or age 65 with five years of service
Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group, who oversees the profit and loss of the business units, told workers the news and followed up with an email that said: "We're in a multiyear process of making Ford more fit and effective around the world. We have reprioritized certain products and services and are adjusting our staffing to better align with our new work statement."
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...offs-buyouts-salaried-contractors/3839720001/
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