Why did Ford drastically raise the wages of assembly line workers?
In 1913, at the Highland Park plant, Henry Ford launched the first assembly line in the automobile industry. First conveyor assembly was applied to the generator and engine, and then to the chassis (assembly time was halved). By the way, in order to increase labor efficiency, two conveyor lines were soon launched - for workers of different heights.
The result of this innovation was the reduction of the assembly time of the car (Model T) from 12 hours to 2 (this happened within a few months), which reduced its cost and made it the most popular car in the United States.
In addition to improving production efficiency by standardizing operations and deepening the division of labor (Fordism), the assembly line method of production allowed Henry Ford to save a lot on training workers (and skilled workers). For example, the assembly of an engine used to require a fairly high qualification from the worker. After the engine assembly process was divided into 84 operations, each of which was performed by a separate worker, no special knowledge was required from the staff. Each worker mastered one operation and perfected its execution to automatism.
Increasing the efficiency of labor through the assembly line method and saving on skilled workers allowed Ford to raise wages for workers and put into practice the "theory of efficient wages." The fact is that the conveyor method of production made the work very tedious (the worker did the same thing for many hours in a row) and greatly exhausted the workers (it was impossible to take a break and rest), which led to an increase in staff turnover. Therefore, the increase in wages was largely a forced decision (and Ford was also afraid of the emergence of a trade union at his enterprise).
P.S. Charlie Chaplin in 1936 made a film satire on Fordism - "Modern Times".
We have already talked about Henry Ford (remember the years of his life - 1863-1947), the creator of the mass American car. The former chief engineer of the Edison Electric Company (by the way, a very remarkable fact, many talented engineers and inventors worked alongside Edison), by the time he created his own automobile company, he managed to participate in the industrial production of cars and understand that the production of cars is in the full sense of the gold mine , Klondike, capable of bringing millions in profits. In various ways, the forty-year-old Ford managed to convince twelve investors and raise 28 thousand dollars, a considerable amount at that time, but not too much to start large-scale production of complex equipment.
On June 16, 1903, a new venture called the Ford Motor Company, housed in a former Detroit coach shop, began assembling the first Ford automobile. The car left the factory gates in the same 1903 and was sold to a certain Dr. Pfenning, a resident of the city of Chicago. It was a very small Ford A car, in which a new electric ignition system was used. The American buyer immediately liked the car, the demand for it exceeded the supply. During the first 15 months of production, 1,700 cars left the factory gates. Ford immediately set a more than democratic price of $ 850 for his car (and in the history of the company there were cheaper models). Considering that at the beginning of the 20th century, a monthly salary of $100 was considered very good, this was not so little. And yet, the Ford A was already available to the middle class in the United States, which opened up huge prospects for Ford.
The production technology used in the formative years of the company is curious. Actually, all companies in the world worked on the same technology. The car was assembled by a whole team of specialists in succession. At first, locksmiths worked to assemble the frame. Then chassis specialists approached the car and mounted axles, gearbox, wheels. Then they were replaced by engine mechanics. And so on. The process took quite a long time.
But that is not all. In an effort to keep the cost of the car as low as possible, Henry Ford ventured one trick. He was not selling a finished car, but ... parts of it! That is, the buyer was invited to the factory, where he chose and separately paid for the chassis, body, tires. At the same time, the car turned out to be quite cheap, however, and the profit remained quite low. To Ford's credit, he tried everything. 
options. For 5 years, he produced as many as 19 car models, assigning them letter indices - from "A" to " S ". The most advanced Ford K model had a powerful six-cylinder engine. But it was also the most expensive, with a Ford K selling price of $2,500. At the same time, a primitive and very small machine model " N was sold by Ford for only $500. And the demand for it was simply stunning.
And Henry Ford comes up with a simple and seemingly quite obvious idea, which, nevertheless, did not visit the heads of his competitors. There are two ways to get the maximum profit from the production of cars - by producing expensive, technically advanced cars in small quantities, or ... by producing very simple and cheap cars, but a lot. It would seem that this is how it turns out. But a cheap car has many more buyers than an expensive one. Hence the benefit.
Henry Ford outlined his vision for the development of the company to shareholders. But not everyone was convinced. One of Ford's first investors, coal merchant Malcomson, is leaving the business. Ford is not lost. He raises money and buys Malcomson's shares, bringing his share to 58.5 percent. And this means that now the board of shareholders is not a decree for Ford. And he is quite capable of making the most important decisions himself. Now we know that Ford was not only a talented engineer and a successful entrepreneur. He was still a smart financier, keenly aware of the right directions for business development.
The concept of mass production of affordable cars was born over several years and was the result of a number of experiments. The first step was the release on October 1, 1908 of the car brand "T" - the very "Tin Lizi", which later became the most massive car in the world. It was the favorite brainchild of Henry Ford. The child of many compromises, the Ford T was by no means the pinnacle of perfection. It, in particular, did not have a gasoline pump, and the gas tank was installed in front of the windshield. When climbing a mountain, gasoline stopped flowing into the carburetor - the tank turned out to be lower. I had to turn around and back up the hill.
In the years of production (19 years in a row!) Ford himself used a car of his own production - a good example for modern industrialists who produce some cars, while they themselves drive around in others, much more advanced and expensive. So, one day a trouble happened to Ford - his car broke down. Ford lifted the hood and began to repair his car. Another motorist stopped nearby, also in a Ford T. He volunteered to help. The drivers were talking. And the one who drove up, feeling a kindred spirit, began to frankly talk about the light of the fire and this primitive car, and its manufacturer Ford. You can imagine the face of this man when he found out that he was Henry Ford himself! By the way, Ford was not offended at all and then told this story with pleasure ...
The car really wasn't a Rolls-Royce. But for many years she determined the automobile face of America and became synonymous with the family car. In those years, it was possible not to ask - "what kind of car do you have." And so it was clear - "Ford T".
The second step was the introduction of the principle of mass production. In the summer of 1913, at the Ford plant in Highland Park, Michigan, a rope was tied to the chassis of an as yet unassembled "T" car and began to pull throughout the assembly shop. The workers, each of whom performed a simple operation assigned to him alone, assembled the car ten times faster than in the usual way - on a stationary slipway. Thus was born the assembly line - perhaps the most important invention of the early twentieth century, which gave the world the mass production of cheap goods.
The idea of the conveyor is to simplify assembly operations as much as possible. It is necessary to save the worker from constant switching of attention and various actions. Instead of one person installing a tire on a wheel, a wheel on a hub, and then screwing this wheel to the hub, three workers were allocated for this operation. One installed the tire and did nothing else. The second one put the assembled wheel on the hub, the third one tightened the hub nut ... We simplify the description of the production process, but the principle should be clear. Instead of generalists, workers on the conveyor who know how to do only one operation. As a result, assembly time is reduced, the possibility of making mistakes is reduced, and training of workers is greatly simplified. Ilf and Petrov in their book One-Storied America wrote that Ford could take a man off the street and teach him how to work at an assembly line in five minutes. So it really was! True, Soviet writers saw here more shortcomings than advantages. Like, a worker in such work is not able to learn anything, and therefore it is easy to replace him. There is some truth in this. But ... still, the writers were wrong. And here we move on to another invention of Henry Ford, this time to the social one.
By the end of 1913, the conveyor was put into permanent operation. Of course, these were no longer ropes, with the help of which the skeleton of the car was dragged through the workshop, but real conveyors with a mechanical drive. Watching the work of the conveyor, Ford came to the conclusion that the assembly speed could be increased by increasing the number of work stations and dividing all operations into a number of small sequential actions. This is the first. Secondly, each person has a certain limit, after which fatigue sets in. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange breaks in the work of the conveyor, giving people time to eat and just relax. In addition, each participant in mass production should be financially interested in the high quality of the cars produced by the company. This will prevent staff turnover, therefore, reduce the cost of training new workers. It will make work more comfortable, safe for the health of workers. And, by the way, more profitable for the workers themselves. And every wealthy factory worker becomes ... a potential buyer of a Ford car.
We note right away that Ford was not at all a “good angel”. Very unpleasant personality traits of Henry Ford are known, which we will not talk about here ... He just knew how to count money and saw much further than his competitors.
On January 5, 1914, Henry Ford announced that from now on the working day at his factories is reduced to 8 hours (before that it was 12 hours), and the minimum wage for workers is increased to $ 5 per day. In those years, it was perhaps the largest minimum wage in America. In addition, workers were paid extra for qualifications and length of service.
Sooner or later, other industrialists were forced to follow Ford's example. And Ford's innovations were surprisingly adopted by his ideological opponents. In factories in Europe and America, unions fought for many years to establish an 8-hour day and increase wages. But the capitalist Ford was ahead of them ...
Today, Ford's main invention - the conveyor - is used in a wide variety of industries. Household items and electronic equipment, computers and clothing are produced by conveyor method. Why, with the help of a conveyor, bread is baked and milk is poured. And at the same time, no one says that it is better for a baker to knead the dough himself, form buns and bake them in the oven. As time has shown, one is not a warrior in the field. Especially in the case when you are trying to feed, clothe, put on shoes and put in a good car. millions of people.
Statement:
Henry Ford invented the conveyor belt.
The name of Henry Ford is forever entrenched in the history of mankind. First of all, thanks to the brand of the same name: Ford was famous for his desire to make a cheap, affordable car for the masses, which he really achieved. Also, his surname went down in history in the form of the economic term "Fordism". The essence of Fordism is in the new organization of in-line production, which was made possible with the help of the assembly line. So history ranked the conveyor itself among the inventions of Ford.
Why is it not:
Ford did not invent the conveyor, but first organized in-line production.
Prior to this, Ford had already assembled his first car, but he did it by hand, like all automakers of that time. That is why the car was a piece of goods and extremely expensive, and the repair of transport turned into a technical puzzle. The automotive industry had to be brought under uniform standards.
The first step towards conveyor production was the assembly line, which appeared in 1901 in the Oldsmobile company, founded by Ransom Olds, who can be called the inventor of the conveyor in the modern sense. Parts and assemblies of the future car were moved on special carts from one working point to another. The prototype of the conveyor increased the production of cars from 400 to 5,000 units per year. Henry Ford understood the potential of Olds' invention and turned on all the resources to get around it by adapting and improving the developed system.
In 1903, Ford, studying the technology of stream production, visited the enterprise, where he observed how the carcasses of animals, moving under the influence of gravity, fell under the knives of the dividers. By adding belts to the conveyor, Ford introduced the improved technology to its factories. Thus, Ford, obsessed with the idea of making its cars affordable, successfully used the experience accumulated before it. As a result, the Ford Model T cost about $400 and was built in less than 2 hours. This made Henry Ford a millionaire and a recognized engineering genius of the 20th century - but he did not invent the conveyor itself.
Henry Ford is the automobile king of America, the best businessman of the twentieth century, a man for whom nothing was impossible. They laughed at him, they were afraid of him, they envied him, but this did not bother Ford himself - he was steadily moving towards his goal.
Despising management as such, he went down in history as a brilliant organizer of production, his ideas are successfully implemented and work in thousands of enterprises. Those who create and develop their own business have a lot to learn from him.
From watches to cars
According to legend, Henry Ford decided to make cars after he fell off his horse at the age of 12. From the saddle, in the truest sense of the word, he was knocked out by the sight of a passing locomobile.
According to another version of the legend, Ford decided to become a mechanic by blowing up a kettle at home. He filled it with water, plugged the spout and watched the developments through the kitchen window. When the kettle exploded, all the glass flew out of the kitchen windows.
Henry Ford was well versed in watches since childhood and even wanted to set up his own watch production, but abandoned this idea due to the fact that watches were not in mass demand. Yes, and the roar of engines attracted him much more than the ticking of clockwork.
True, when the US government introduced a common hourly train schedule in connection with the construction of the railway, Ford created a clock with a double dial (until then, the time was determined by the sun). The clock was unique in that it showed two times at the same time.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the automobile was a luxury, not a means of transportation. The car was a toy for the rich and the focus was on performance. To promote his products, Henry Ford decided to race, which almost cost him his life.
After that, he sought out the fearless cyclist Barney Oldfield, who was intoxicated with speed, and he won several races in a row. In 1903, Ford founded his own company, the Ford Motor Company, with the prize money.
Henry Ford's Successful Production Secrets
Continuous improvement has been a key driver of Ford's work. Each employee could participate in the development of production and suggest what and how can be done more efficiently.
“Work better than before, only in this way can help and service be rendered to all countries. This can always be achieved.”
Ford steadfastly adhered to the principle that it is better to sell a large number of cars for a small profit than a small number for a large one. The accomplishment of the impossible and the embodiment of the impossible has always accompanied the Ford Motor Company throughout its development and transformation into an industry leader.
“I flatly refuse to consider anything impossible. I do not find that there is even one person on earth who would be so well versed in a certain field that he could confidently assert the possibility or impossibility of something.
Automation of everything that can be automated has become a competitive advantage for the company. At Ford, no material was processed by hand, no process was done by hand.
“We do not think of any manual movement that it is the best and the cheapest.”
In production, Ford followed the following principles:
- The worker should not take more than one step and lean forward or sideways.
- The worker did not lift or drag anything.
- The worker has to perform only one simple operation.
On April 1, 1913, Ford launched the assembly line. After the introduction of the assembly line, it took 93 minutes to assemble a car, while in other car companies it took half a day.
After the introduction of assembly line production, Henry Ford reduced the working day to 8 hours, introduced a six-day work week and became the man who “invented” the day off.
The monotony of assembly line work allowed Ford to hire even disabled people who successfully coped with their duties. Ford also used the conveyor principle in the organizational structure: each employee was responsible for the area of work entrusted to him.
Ford never rested on its laurels. The desire to make the car a subject of mass demand allowed Ford Motor Company to become as customer-oriented as possible. Even during the period of explosive sales, the issue of increasing profits was not the main one for Ford, which caused sharp criticism from shareholders.
“Doing business on the basis of pure profit is an enterprise of the highest degree of risk. It is a kind of gambling that runs unevenly and is rarely kept for more than a few years. The task of the enterprise is to produce for consumption, and not for profit or speculation.
In one year, the profits of the Ford Motor Company exceeded Ford's expectations so much that he voluntarily returned $50 to every car buyer, saying:
“We felt that we unwittingly charged our customer more for this amount.”
Secrets of Effective Management by Henry Ford
When recruiting employees, Ford was categorically against "competent persons." He believed that "the wave will end up carrying a capable person to the place that belongs to him by right." Each person, having come to the company, started from the bottom and had equal chances with everyone, and further growth and advancement was only a matter of his desire.
“We never invite competent persons. Everyone should start from the bottom rung of the working ladder - the old experience is not worth anything with us. We never ask about a person's past - we start not with the past, but with the person. He should have only one thing: the desire to work.”
As far as career advancement is concerned, Ford correctly noted that the average worker values a decent job more than a promotion. The desire of workers to grow today is the exception rather than the rule.
“Hardly more than 5% of all those who receive wages will agree to take on the responsibility and increase in work associated with an increase in wages. Therefore, the main difficulty is not to find those who deserve a promotion, but those who want to get it.”
Ford's factories had a lot of immigrants, and he mixed them up to stop idle talk. Workers were forbidden to talk to each other on topics not related to production. Friendships were also discouraged.
“Meetings to establish contact between individuals or branches are completely unnecessary. To work hand in hand, there is no need to love each other. Too close camaraderie can even be evil if it leads one to try to cover up the other's faults."
Ford did not like smoking and overweight people, once he even fired one engineer, saying: "Come back when you lose 50 pounds." He never announced his resignation in person. The employee understood that he was fired, finding papers scattered in the morning and a table and a chair cut into pieces.
Ford could at any time gather all the company's leaders and, ignoring their excuses, send them on a two-week cruise. If work went well without a boss, he was rewarded. Those who could not organize the independent work of the unit, Ford fired.
Ford considered his employees not subordinates, but partners and always recognized his dependence on those who created his products. From January 1914, he informed the workers about their participation in the profits of the company.
“From the moment an entrepreneur recruits people to help his cause, he chooses a companion. No one can be independent if he depends on the help of another.”
Henry Ford on Success
“The successes we have achieved so far are, in essence, the result of a certain logical realization: since we have to work, it is better to work smart and prudently; the better we work, the better we will be. This is what, in my opinion, elementary, common human sense prescribes to us.
“Nothing that really interests us is hard for us. I was sure of success. Success will certainly come if you work hard.”
“A person achieves success by putting effort into overcoming obstacles and by applying his ability to serve the needs of others. Most people think of success as something to be achieved; in fact, success begins with bestowal.”
Henry Ford on money
“Greed for money is the surest way not to get money. But if you serve for the sake of service itself, for the sake of satisfaction, which is given by the consciousness of the rightness of the cause, then money will automatically appear in abundance.
“The prevailing concern for money, and not for work, entails the fear of failure; this fear hinders the correct approach to business, causes fear of competition, makes one fear a change in methods of production, fear every step that introduces a change in the state of affairs.
“Exorbitant prices are always a sign of an unhealthy business, inevitably arising from abnormal relationships. A healthy patient has a normal temperature, a healthy market has normal prices.”
“As long as the leader puts money ahead of service, the losses will continue. Losses can only be repaired by far-sighted, not short-sighted minds. Shortsighted people think about money and do not see losses at all. They see genuine service as altruistic, not as the most profitable business in the world.”
Henry Ford on failure
“There are far more people who have surrendered than those who have been defeated. It’s not that they lack knowledge, money, intelligence, desire, but simply lack the brain and bones. The crude, simple, primitive force of perseverance is the uncrowned queen of the world of will."
“Whoever is afraid of failure, he himself limits the scope of his activities. Failure only gives you an excuse to start again and smarter. Honest failure is not shameful; disgraceful is the fear of failure.”
“People make monstrous mistakes because of their false assessment of things. They see the successes achieved by others and see them as easily achievable. Fatal delusion! On the contrary, failures are always very frequent, and successes are achieved with difficulty. Failures result from rest and carelessness; you have to pay for luck with everything you have.”
Henry Ford is often called the "father" of the automotive industry, because he created a whole network of automobile factories. Ford received 161 patents, so he is deservedly considered the greatest inventor. The industrialist devoted his life to the production of cheap cars and sought to provide everyone with a car. Henry Ford was the first to use the assembly line to mass-produce cars. The brainchild of a businessman, the Ford Motor Company, still operates today under the leadership of his descendants.
Childhood and youth
The future industrialist was born on July 30, 1863 on his father's farm near the town of Dearborn (Michigan). Parents William Ford and Marie Litogot emigrated to America from Ireland. The boy was brought up with three brothers and two sisters.
Father and mother worked hard on the farm and were considered wealthy people. But Henry was sure that in housekeeping there was much more work than the fruits of labor, so he did not seek to continue the work of his parents.
The boy was educated only in a church school and did not even learn to write without errors. When Ford became the head of the company, he could not correctly draw up a contract. Once in the newspaper, the industrialist was called "ignorant", because of which Ford sued the publication. But the inventor was sure that for a person the main thing is not literacy, but the ability to think.
At the age of 12, Henry lost his mother, and this event shocked the boy. At the same age, the future entrepreneur first saw a locomobile. Ford was delighted with the crew, moving under the action of the motor, and decided in the future to assemble a moving mechanism himself. But the father wanted Henry to become a farmer, so he was critical of the child's interest in mechanics.
At the age of 16, Ford went to Detroit and became an apprentice in a machine shop. Four years later, Henry returned to the farm, where he worked on the farm during the day and invented inventions at night. To make his father's daily work easier, Ford created a threshing machine that ran on gasoline. Given the demand for such equipment, a buyer was soon found. Henry sold a patent for an invention, and then got a job in the company of this famous entrepreneur.
Business
In 1891, Ford again went to Detroit to become a mechanical engineer for Thomas Edison's company. Henry held this position until 1899, but in his spare time he continued to work on the creation of the machine. Ford did not just do what he loved, but lived with the idea of creating an affordable car. In 1893, Henry managed to achieve a result - he designed his first car.
The management of the Edison company did not support the employee's hobbies and recommended that incredible ideas be abandoned. Instead, in 1899, the future industrialist left his job and became one of the owners of the Detroit Automobile Company. But even here the guy did not stay long and left the company three years later due to differences of opinion with other co-owners.
At this time, the invention of a young entrepreneur was not in great demand. To attract the attention of customers, Ford drove around the city in his car. At the same time, Henry was often ridiculed and called "obsessed" from Begley Street. But the guy was not afraid of failure and despised the fear of losing. In 1902, Ford participated in auto racing and managed to get ahead of the reigning US champion. The task of the inventor was to advertise the car and demonstrate its dignity, and the guy achieved the desired result.
In 1903, the aspiring businessman created the Ford Motor Company and began manufacturing Ford A cars. The inventor wanted to provide customers with a universal machine that would be reliable and economical. Gradually, Ford made the design of the car much simpler, standardized various mechanisms and parts. The inventor was the first to use a conveyor belt for the production of machines, which was a real innovation. A talented businessman has achieved a breakthrough in the automotive industry and has taken a leading position in this industry.
Henry Ford was not afraid of difficulties and fought even the strongest opponent. When Ford Motor ran into a car syndicate, the young entrepreneur fought back. Back in 1879, George Selden received a patent for a car design, but did not implement it. When other companies took up the production of cars, the inventor began to go to court. After the first case won, a number of firms bought licenses from him and created an association of car manufacturers.
Litigation against Ford began in 1903 and lasted until 1911. The industrialist refused to buy a license and promised protection to his clients. In 1909, Ford lost the case, but after reviewing the case, the court ruled that all automakers acted within the law and did not violate Selden's patent rights, as they used a different engine design. As a result, the association of automakers broke up, and Ford won the glory of a fighter for the interests of buyers.
Success came to the talented inventor in 1908 with the launch of the Ford T. The brainchild of Ford was distinguished by a simple finish, affordable price and practicality. I even chose this car, converted into an ambulance.
Henry Ford car "Ford-T" model Sales of the Ford Motor Company grew rapidly, because Ford cars were of high quality, but inexpensive. At the same time, the cost of the Ford T fell over the years: if in 1909 the price of a car was $ 850, then in 1913 it fell to $ 550.
In 1910, Henry Ford built the Highland Park plant. Three years later, the assembly line began to be used here. First, the generator was assembled, and then the engine. The assembly of each engine was carried out by several dozen workers who performed individual operations and this reduced the production time. A moving platform was also used, as a result of which the chassis was made in half the time. Such experiments affected many aspects of the production process, increasing its productivity and efficiency.
Gradually, the industrialist bought mines, coal mines and opened new factories. So Ford achieved a complete production cycle: from ore mining to the production of finished cars. As a result, the businessman created an entire empire, which did not depend on other companies and foreign trade. In 1914, Ford produced 10 million cars, or 10% of all cars in the world.
Henry Ford sought to improve working conditions in factories. From 1914 the wages of workers increased to $5 a day. But in order to receive such money, employees were obliged to spend it wisely. If the earnings were spent on drinking, then the worker was fired.
The enterprises set the mode of operation in three shifts of 8 hours, instead of two of 9 hours. The entrepreneur also introduced one day off and paid vacation. Although the workers were required to maintain strict discipline, good conditions attracted thousands of people, and Ford did not lack personnel. However, until 1941, the factories of the American industrialist had a ban on trade unions.
In the early 1920s, Ford was selling more cars than all of its competitors combined. Of the ten cars sold in the United States, seven are manufactured by Ford. During this period, the industrialist began to be called the "automobile king."
Since 1917, the United States participated in the war as part of the Entente. Then the factories of Henry Ford were engaged in the implementation of military orders and produced helmets, gas masks, submarines and tanks. But the entrepreneur emphasized that he did not want to make money on the bloodshed and promised to return the profit to the treasury. Ford's patriotic impulse was warmly welcomed by compatriots, which raised the authority of the industrialist.
After the war, a talented inventor faced a new problem - a drop in Ford-T sales. Ford Motor's stock was limited, and the customer wanted variety. Ford's statement that he could offer a car of any color, if that color was black, corresponded to reality, but no longer met the needs of the market. The entrepreneur was betting on affordability by selling cars on credit, but rival General Motors offered a variety of models and pulled ahead.
Sales plummeted, and in 1927 Ford was threatened with bankruptcy. Then the inventor stopped the production process and started creating a new car. Ford was also assisted by his son, who was involved in the design of the car. In the same year, the industrialist presented the Ford-A model, which was distinguished by its spectacular appearance and improved technical characteristics. These innovations restored Ford's leadership position in the automotive market.
Henry Ford's 1927 Ford A Back in 1925, the entrepreneur decided to create an airline, which was called "Ford Airways". Then Ford bought the firm of William Stout and began to produce airliners. Subsequently, the Ford Trimotor was especially popular. This passenger aircraft was in mass production during 1927-1933. 199 copies were produced, which were operated until 1989.
In the 1920s, Henry Ford maintained economic relations with the USSR. The first Soviet mass-produced tractor Fordson-Putilovets, presented in 1923, was created on the basis of the Fordson tractor. During 1929-1932, Ford Motor employees contributed to the construction and reconstruction of factories in Moscow and Gorky.
Aircraft Henry Ford "Ford Trimotor" In the early years of the Great Depression, the Ford company was confidently afloat, but in 1931 the crisis affected Ford Motor. Falling sales and increased competition forced Ford to close some factories again and cut wages for the remaining workers. The indignant crowd began to break through to the Rouge plant, the police dispersed the people only with the help of weapons.
Once again, Ford found a way out of a difficult situation thanks to a new invention. The industrialist presented the "Ford V 8" - a sports car, the speed of which reached 130 km / h. The new product allowed the company to resume full-fledged work and increase sales.
Political views and antisemitism
There are several pages in the biography of Henry Ford that caused condemnation among contemporaries. So, back in 1918, the inventor bought The Dearborn Independent and two years later began to spread anti-Semitic ideas. In 1920, a number of publications on this subject were combined into one book - International Jewry. Subsequently, Ford's ideas and publications were actively used by the Nazis to influence the younger generation.
In 1921, 119 prominent US citizens, including three presidents, spoke out against the views of the inventor. In 1927, Ford admitted his mistakes and published a letter of apology to the media.
The entrepreneur kept in touch with the NSDAP and even provided financial support to the Nazis. admired Ford and kept a portrait of the inventor in the Munich residence. In the book "My Struggle" only one American is mentioned - Henry Ford. In the Nazi-occupied city of Poissy (France), since 1940, the Henry Ford factory has been operating, producing cars and aircraft engines.
Personal life
In 1887, Henry Ford married Clara Bryant, the daughter of a simple farmer. "Automobile King" lived with Clara amicably and happily. The wife became a reliable support for a talented inventor. Bryant believed in her husband when the townspeople laughed at him and criticized colleagues. Once in an interview, Ford said that he would like to live another life only if he could marry Clara again.
The couple had only one son, Edsel (1893-1943), who later became his father's chief assistant. Disputes often arose between Henry Ford and Edsel, but this did not interfere with their friendly relations and joint work. The father was a teetotaler who loved country dances and bird watching, while his son preferred modern art, jazz, noisy parties and cocktails.
Death
The Car King ran Ford Motor until the 1930s, after which he handed control over to Edsel. The reason for the departure of the businessman from the management of the company was conflicts with partners and trade union organizations. Since 1919, Ford's son has been acting president, so he fully coped with the new powers. After the death of his son in 1943 from stomach cancer, the old industrialist again led the automobile empire.
But advanced years did not allow Ford to manage the company at the proper level, and therefore, two years later, he ceded the reins of power to his grandson, Henry Ford II. The outstanding inventor died on April 7, 1947 from a cerebral hemorrhage. At that time, Ford was 83 years old.
"Automobile King" managed to realize a childhood dream, leaving behind one of the largest automotive companies in the world. At the same time, the main task of the industrialist was not to earn money, but to improve people's lives with the help of his favorite pastime - the invention and production of cars.
After himself, Henry Ford left his autobiography "My Life, My Achievements", in which he vividly described the methods of organizing labor at the enterprise. The ideas presented in this book have been adopted by many companies, and quotes from the statements of the inventor remain relevant today.
Back in 1928, the businessman received the Elliot Cresson Medal for achievements in the automotive industry. The history of Ford's life and achievements is the subject of many books and films. So, in 1987, Allan Eastmans' film "Ford: Man-Machine" was released in Canada, telling about the inventor as one of the symbols of America.
Quotes
- “If you have enthusiasm, you can do anything. Enthusiasm is the basis of any progress."
- “When it seems that the whole world is against you, remember that the plane takes off against the wind!”
- “My secret to success lies in the ability to understand the point of view of another person and look at things from both his and my own points of view”
- "Quality is doing something right, even when no one is watching"
- “If you require someone to give his time and energy to a cause, then make sure that he does not experience financial difficulties”
- “Only two incentives make people work: the desire for wages and the fear of losing it”
