Ford in the USA?

George Ortiz15 said:When a massive player like Ford rolls into town, it’s a total jackpot for the local economy. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly hasn't wrapped their head around how manufacturing actually works...

Sure, an assembly line worker pulling in maybe $60k or $70k might look modest on paper, but you're missing the whole picture of benefits and stability. And don't even get me started on the engineers and tech specialists—if you think those roles aren't the backbone of the operation, you're dreaming. We're talking design, assembly, commissioning, and high-level tech. That's where the real heavy lifting happens.

That part isn't even up for debate.

The real question is why on earth would a company like Ford decide to set up shop in America?

driftingorca37 said:That part isn't even up for debate.

The real question is why on earth would a company like Ford decide to set up shop in America?

It’s impossible to open anything when people can't grasp what a company like that actually brings to the table. You see three pages of rambling about how Americans wouldn't work for peanuts, which just proves how clueless everyone is. It shows there's zero actual expertise here. If that's how the government thinks, then yeah, Ford has nothing to do with us.

And how are you supposed to beat the competition for contracts if you don't realize this triggers a massive boom—tourism, construction, mechanical engineering, electrical work... everything takes off.

Here’s some half-baked math for you:
One single machine needs three or four guys just to get it installed and running (programmer, assembler, electrician, tech). Now imagine a plant with 4,000 or 5,000 machines—don't even get me started on the specs unless you have a second degree in mechanical engineering. Factor in the two months they spend on-site for lodging and food, and the costs are huge. And that’s just before things go live. Don't think for a second that the Germans won't be working in those plants too; they aren't just handing everything over to the locals.

And obviously, you don't just build all the machines at once; you assemble them line by line depending on the plant layout.
Specialized machine tools aren't your basic drills or TVs...

Sinumerik, Fanuc, Indramat, Bosch, ABB, Festo...
Marpos, Sandvik, Artis...
Eplan, Simatic, AutoCAD, CATIA...
Google those terms and you might actually start to understand the sheer complexity of the auto industry.

Is Ford moving to America really a golden goose for the economy? I wouldn't go that far. Nobody seems to be talking about what the government actually hands over to a corporation like that—we’re looking at a ten-year corporate tax holiday plus incentives ranging from $3,000 to $18,000 for every single job created.

I don't know exactly what kind of profits Ford is pulling in, but it's clearly massive, which means those lost corporate taxes are a huge deal. When you multiply that tax revenue by ten years, you end up with a staggering amount of money that we’re essentially waving goodbye to right out of the gate. They're talking about thousands of jobs here; if they hire just 1,000 workers and we factor in the minimum incentive of $3,000 per person, that’s $3,000,000 gone instantly.

With that kind of cash on the table, we could have probably funded a few homegrown companies instead...

placidtinker39 said:Is Ford moving to America really a golden goose for the economy? I wouldn't go that far. Nobody seems to be talking about what the government actually hands over to a corporation like that—we’re looking at a ten-year corporate tax holiday plus incentives ranging from $3,000 to $18,000 for every single job created.

I don't know exactly what kind of profits Ford is pulling in, but it's clearly massive, which means those lost corporate taxes are a huge deal. When you multiply that tax revenue by ten years, you end up with a staggering amount of money that we’re essentially waving goodbye to right out of the gate. They're talking about thousands of jobs here; if they hire just 1,000 workers and we factor in the minimum incentive of $3,000 per person, that’s $3,000,000 gone instantly.

With that kind of cash on the table, we could have probably funded a few homegrown companies instead...

Here we go again with the misunderstanding or just straight-up not reading. It's not just about entry-level workers; check out the posts regarding the engineers, assemblers, machinists, electricians...

Companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Raytheon...

There are standards and tech involved here. There's a market level that local small businesses just can't touch. The auto industry isn't some simple thing you can wrap your head around via an internet forum.

Sure, let's throw a billion dollars at it; we'll create jobs across the board...

Look, grab a hammer and an anvil and see if you can pull in that kind of money.

Where do you even live?

Ever heard of patents, licensing, and industry standards?

George Ortiz15 said:It’s impossible to open anything when people can't grasp what a company like that actually brings to the table. You see three pages of rambling about how Americans wouldn't work for peanuts, which just proves how clueless everyone is. It shows there's zero actual expertise here. If that's how the government thinks, then yeah, Ford has nothing to do with us.

And how are you supposed to beat the competition for contracts if you don't realize this triggers a massive boom—tourism, construction, mechanical engineering, electrical work... everything takes off.

Here’s some half-baked math for you:
One single machine needs three or four guys just to get it installed and running (programmer, assembler, electrician, tech). Now imagine a plant with 4,000 or 5,000 machines—don't even get me started on the specs unless you have a second degree in mechanical engineering. Factor in the two months they spend on-site for lodging and food, and the costs are huge. And that’s just before things go live. Don't think for a second that the Germans won't be working in those plants too; they aren't just handing everything over to the locals.

And obviously, you don't just build all the machines at once; you assemble them line by line depending on the plant layout.
Specialized machine tools aren't your basic drills or TVs...

Sinumerik, Fanuc, Indramat, Bosch, ABB, Festo...
Marpos, Sandvik, Artis...
Eplan, Simatic, AutoCAD, CATIA...
Google those terms and you might actually start to understand the sheer complexity of the auto industry.

You're missing the point.

Why on earth would Ford come to the US when the tax burden is higher, labor costs are significantly steeper, wages are high, and the bureaucracy is slower and less cooperative?

In Slovakia, everything is much more favorable for them.

driftingorca37 said:You're missing the point.

Why on earth would Ford come to the US when the tax burden is higher, labor costs are significantly steeper, wages are high, and the bureaucracy is slower and less cooperative?

In Slovakia, everything is much more favorable for them.

they aren't just going to show up. they'll come if we roll out the red carpet. personally, I think we should do EVERYTHING—if they want a total tax holiday or a custom-built facility, fine—whatever it takes to get them here. but we don't do all that because we don't grasp what the payoff actually is. people don't understand how job creation leads to modernization and actual skill building...
nor do we understand the relationship between workers and retirees in the US, or even the mess we're currently in...

bottom line: they probably don't care about any of those other hurdles...

this whole debate is stuck on why Ford won't come, instead of focusing on how to make them want to stay.

So, what does America need to change to actually attract investment?

WAGES CERTAINLY AREN'T THE ISSUE since these exact same companies call us from abroad offering way, way more money...

take this one example from the US regarding new plants: Altria bought a tobacco factory about ten years ago, modernized the whole operation, hired locals, and paid decent wages (people were practically fighting for jobs there), and then we SCREWED THEM OVER. now they're in Niš, and it's not because labor is cheaper there, it's because their lobbyists can just go create jobs wherever they want!!!!!!!!!!

I honestly just want to know one thing: how can people who claim to have all this "expert" insight into corporate operations and massive technical knowledge still not own a single small business with even a few dozen employees? And yet, they have the nerve to laugh at folks who clearly don't grasp how things actually work in the real world...

Look further than what’s right in front of you, as the old saying goes,
because if we hadn't pushed harder, we wouldn't be where we are today!

Amanda Diaz said:I honestly just want to know one thing: how can people who claim to have all this "expert" insight into corporate operations and massive technical knowledge still not own a single small business with even a few dozen employees? And yet, they have the nerve to laugh at folks who clearly don't grasp how things actually work in the real world...

keyboard warriors

How much did I miss? It seems like the Ford rep mentioned America on Slovakian TV just to put some pressure on the Slovakian government to offer them better terms.

George Ortiz15 said:Sure, but people overlook the ripple effect. When a massive player like Ford moves in, they aren't just bringing assembly lines; they're bringing a demand for new machinery. That opens doors for machine tool builders—specialized equipment can run anywhere from a few hundred thousand to several million dollars. We're talking mechanical and electrical engineers, installers, machinists. You need people for construction, assembly, programming, robot maintenance, and jig design. All those high-level roles come with global price tags because they're complex. Don't just focus on the line operators; machine building is a massive industry with huge margins.....

And a factory doesn't just pop up overnight.....
Machines come with warranties lasting up to five years. It takes at least six months just to design and commission a single unit, let alone overhaul it after thousands of hours. Think about the scale: thousands of machines mean thousands of people needing housing and food.......

Think about the revenue generated just from housing the crews that install and commission these machines, not even mentioning the precision work involved in measuring parts.

Look at how many Americans are working on installation, assembly, and machine construction all over the US and the world.

Machines need major overhauls. Someone checking if a couple of units need oil or if there's scrap shouldn't be making more than the person who actually engineered the machine.....

Believe it or not, Americans have been building machines for Ford, Mercedes, Ford, Audi, and Volkswagen for a long time now...

If Ford decided to build an engine plant here in Rhode Island, it wouldn't just be about the assembly line workers. You'd see jobs popping up at the Social Security Administration for oversight, management roles, construction crews to actually build the facility, and a whole ecosystem of suppliers providing leather, plastic, glass, and everything else. Take the US for example—right across from a major Ford plant, there's a specialized seat manufacturer. They handle parts for the X3 models. About three hours before the seats hit the line, they get the call with the exact specs, the parts are delivered, and they're installed. It’s a ripple effect. Beyond the factory itself, you'd have serious tier-one suppliers thriving by meeting all those strict quality standards.

Amanda Diaz said:I honestly just want to know one thing: how can people who claim to have all this "expert" insight into corporate operations and massive technical knowledge still not own a single small business with even a few dozen employees? And yet, they have the nerve to laugh at folks who clearly don't grasp how things actually work in the real world...

The reason is simple: working for my current company pays me significantly more than I'd ever make running a shop like that. I show up, do my job, and clock out. No headaches, no sleepless nights, and I come out ahead financially. They can keep laughing if they want.

Thomas Davis4 said:If Ford decided to build an engine plant here in Rhode Island, it wouldn't just be about the assembly line workers. You'd see jobs popping up at the Social Security Administration for oversight, management roles, construction crews to actually build the facility, and a whole ecosystem of suppliers providing leather, plastic, glass, and everything else. Take the US for example—right across from a major Ford plant, there's a specialized seat manufacturer. They handle parts for the X3 models. About three hours before the seats hit the line, they get the call with the exact specs, the parts are delivered, and they're installed. It’s a ripple effect. Beyond the factory itself, you'd have serious tier-one suppliers thriving by meeting all those strict quality standards.

The reason is simple: working for my current company pays me significantly more than I'd ever make running a shop like that. I show up, do my job, and clock out. No headaches, no sleepless nights, and I come out ahead financially. They can keep laughing if they want.

You claim you have "no worries," yet you seem to know everything about how to start and run a business. Bravo. Go ahead, keep laughing... 👍

It would be ideal if a major industry arrived and opened up some high-quality jobs. But when I think about IKEA... I find myself doubting if such a thing could ever actually happen here. We have to acknowledge that manufacturing furniture is technically far simpler than the automotive industry. With IKEA, the bottleneck isn't even finding skilled labor; they are still stuck in the facility construction phase. Yet, one only needs to recall the situation with Owens Corning and the struggle to secure operating permits to see that we don't exactly look like the promised land for investors. The people deciding where to locate a plant take these factors into account when weighing their options. Would you build a manufacturing plant in a foreign country—having already secured valid building permits and all the necessary paperwork—only to have those decisions constantly "re-evaluated"? Or worse, to have someone simply "revoke" a valid permit out of thin air? Even if you haven't set foot on the construction site, the mere cost of designing the facilities is so high that if a permit is pulled at that stage, the material damage is already massive. It takes very little for foreign investors to observe how this country treats its own local entrepreneurs; once they see that, they know exactly what awaits them in the future. For a nation that desperately needs new construction and development, we are currently failing on the smallest details.

Amanda Diaz said:You claim you have "no worries," yet you seem to know everything about how to start and run a business. Bravo. Go ahead, keep laughing... 👍

What are we even talking about here? My entire thesis was focused on aviation management—everything from airline operations to airport logistics and air traffic control. That’s the theoretical side. On the practical side, I spent six months as an intern at a GE Aerospace division over in Sweden, which is where I ended up staying.

Once I finished my Master's, I moved back to the States and started working for the firm. I know significantly more about corporate leadership and management than you do. Then again, I never actually claimed to be an expert on management. I only mentioned a few times that $1000 the pay for a Social Security Administration employee in a plant like that in America is top-tier.

I didn't start the company myself because launching a business in aerospace engineering isn't exactly a walk in the park. It requires serious capital. Besides, I have no interest in running a company; it lacks the necessary dynamism. Air traffic control, however, is right up my alley. Fast-paced and pays well.

Linda Roberts2 said:keyboard warriors

And here we have all you great CEOs and directors. The most "industrial" site you've ever seen is probably one featured on the Discovery Channel. ☕

Thomas Davis4 said:What are we even talking about here? My entire thesis was focused on aviation management—everything from airline operations to airport logistics and air traffic control. That’s the theoretical side. On the practical side, I spent six months as an intern at a GE Aerospace division over in Sweden, which is where I ended up staying.

Once I finished my Master's, I moved back to the States and started working for the firm. I know significantly more about corporate leadership and management than you do. Then again, I never actually claimed to be an expert on management. I only mentioned a few times that $1000 the pay for a Social Security Administration employee in a plant like that in America is top-tier.

I didn't start the company myself because launching a business in aerospace engineering isn't exactly a walk in the park. It requires serious capital. Besides, I have no interest in running a company; it lacks the necessary dynamism. Air traffic control, however, is right up my alley. Fast-paced and pays well.

And here we have all you great CEOs and directors. The most "industrial" site you've ever seen is probably one featured on the Discovery Channel. ☕

Just try living on nothing for a month. Seriously, can you even imagine? $1000 Oh, sure. Go ahead and tell me that’s a top-tier salary for America.
If any company actually wants a motivated, reliable employee they can count on for the long haul right now, then they need to start looking at how they treat people. Seriously. What's the point of hiring if you aren't going to invest in them? $1000 They’ll be looking for him in Mexico or Canada, because there's no way they're finding him here in America. As for what the future holds? Well, that's a whole different conversation.
What kind of salary are we talking about for a worker in those plants over in Germany, the US, or Sweden? And more importantly, how do they actually justify making that much more than an American peer working the same job?

George Ortiz15 said:they aren't just going to show up. they'll come if we roll out the red carpet. personally, I think we should do EVERYTHING—if they want a total tax holiday or a custom-built facility, fine—whatever it takes to get them here. but we don't do all that because we don't grasp what the payoff actually is. people don't understand how job creation leads to modernization and actual skill building...
nor do we understand the relationship between workers and retirees in the US, or even the mess we're currently in...

bottom line: they probably don't care about any of those other hurdles...

this whole debate is stuck on why Ford won't come, instead of focusing on how to make them want to stay.

So, what does America need to change to actually attract investment?

WAGES CERTAINLY AREN'T THE ISSUE since these exact same companies call us from abroad offering way, way more money...

take this one example from the US regarding new plants: Altria bought a tobacco factory about ten years ago, modernized the whole operation, hired locals, and paid decent wages (people were practically fighting for jobs there), and then we SCREWED THEM OVER. now they're in Niš, and it's not because labor is cheaper there, it's because their lobbyists can just go create jobs wherever they want!!!!!!!!!!

You hit the nail on the head there. Bringing a factory like that to America would be such a massive win for us. It's not just about more jobs, either... it's about soaking up all that tech and knowledge, and basically reviving that whole industrial backbone where skills get passed down from one generation of engineers and techs to the next.

But honestly, it all comes back to what Pavuna—who’s always been a bit of a wild card—was saying at my college a few days ago. He thinks this country isn't run by actual engineers, but by "social makeup artists," as he calls them. Basically, there's just this huge anti-business vibe hanging over America right now. We need to fix that however we can, but hey, that's just the reality we're dealing with. I mean, if you go around asking people whether they're pro-capitalism or pro-socialism, what do you think the average answer is gonna be? 😢

Thomas Davis4 said:What are we even talking about here? My entire thesis was focused on aviation management—everything from airline operations to airport logistics and air traffic control. That’s the theoretical side. On the practical side, I spent six months as an intern at a GE Aerospace division over in Sweden, which is where I ended up staying.

Once I finished my Master's, I moved back to the States and started working for the firm. I know significantly more about corporate leadership and management than you do. Then again, I never actually claimed to be an expert on management. I only mentioned a few times that $1000 the pay for a Social Security Administration employee in a plant like that in America is top-tier.

I didn't start the company myself because launching a business in aerospace engineering isn't exactly a walk in the park. It requires serious capital. Besides, I have no interest in running a company; it lacks the necessary dynamism. Air traffic control, however, is right up my alley. Fast-paced and pays well.

And here we have all you great CEOs and directors. The most "industrial" site you've ever seen is probably one featured on the Discovery Channel. ☕

It’s just a plate... maybe a bit too simple—but hey, sometimes that's all you need... $1000 It’s just... anything but top-tier...
Workers at major US corporations are pulling in huge salaries—some even more than that... Meanwhile, the average pay in North Mexico is only about half of what you’d see here in America... so you can just do the math yourself... $1000 That's a top-tier salary... honestly, incredible!
$1000 Maybe at some plant selling stuff for next to nothing around here in the States... but a Ford? Not likely...

Well, in China, it’s actually higher than that!
Over there, workers like that can pull in more than 3,000!

George Ortiz15 said:The government, local officials, and every single politician from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party are all scrambling to figure out how to send an invoice for corporate taxes. Meanwhile, opportunities like this just sail right past us...

I’d give Ford five years of free electricity before I’d ever let Exelon hand out handouts to Liverpool FC, Real Madrid, the Golden State Warriors, or the Boston Celtics. Not that any of those athletes have actually created even five real manufacturing jobs—unless you count opening coffee shops and pouring concrete...

Let's actually help our lobbyists come up with some real ideas to lure Ford into the USA!

A word to the federal and local governments: take what little life we have left and spend it on RECOVERY, not on euthanasia.!!!!!!

That bit about the guys across the border is pretty interesting... makes you wonder if what they're saying about Fiat is actually true.

Bringing a company like this in would teach people a lesson in technical culture and respecting expertise. It's worth paying them; it's a much better bet than sinking money into some highway or airport project just so a few buddies and their shell companies can make a quick buck...

There isn't even a theoretical chance this happens in America, even if we offered them everything for free.... the cultural reputation of people around here is so poor that these ideas sound like fairy tales for toddlers...that car would arrive under such bad press that the whole company would collapse...