[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S6847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the Ford 
Motor Company on its 100th anniversary and its longstanding 
relationship with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
  Ford has been an integral part of the Kentucky business community 
since 1913 when it began building Model T automobiles in a small shop 
on South Third Street in Louisville. From its modest beginnings in the 
Commonwealth, Ford rose to become a significant part of our economy. 
After opening additional plants in Louisville, Ford and its hard-
working Kentucky employees produced more than 44,000 trucks for the 
U.S. Army during World War II.
  Following the war, Ford continued to expand in Kentucky, initiating 
car production at the Louisville assembly plant on Fern Valley Road in 
1955. In 1969, Ford built the Kentucky truck plant on Chamberlain Lane. 
The Kentucky truck plant would later utilize the world's most advanced 
computer-integrated system for manufacturing heavy truck frame rails. 
In September 2002, the Louisville assembly plant produced the five-
millionth Ford Explorer.
  Today, these two plants employ nearly 10,000 men and women in 
Kentucky who, in 2002, collectively earned more than $660 million. In 
2002, the two Ford facilities paid nearly $50 million in State and 
local taxes. Ford and its Kentucky employees have made other important 
contributions to local community. Last year, they donated more than 
$2.5 million to various Louisville community organizations and 
participated in the Adopt A Child and Sharing the Blessing programs.
  As Ford Motor Company approaches its 100th anniversary on June 16, 
2003, I am proud to take this opportunity to congratulate the company 
and its employees for their dedication to excellence. We look forward 
to the planned expansion of the Kentucky truck plant in Louisville and 
many more years of commitment to the people and Commonwealth of 
Kentucky.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of the 100th 
anniversary of Ford Motor Company. On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford, one of 
Michigan's most famous sons, founded Ford Motor Company.
  It is seldom in history that one person or company makes such a 
dramatic, lasting impact on society. Thomas Edison modernized the light 
bulb and changed the way we see the world. Alexander Graham Bell 
invented the telephone, and communication was changed forever. Henry 
Ford brought the automobile to the working family, and revolutionized 
manufacturing, transportation, and everyday American life.
  It would certainly be difficult to overestimate the importance of 
Ford Motor Company on the American way of life. When it was founded, 
virtually no one owned an automobile. The personal mobility we take for 
granted today was unfathomable at the turn of the last century. But 
that was to change rapidly. Within 25 years of its founding, Ford 
manufactured more than 15 million Model T's, at a price that made them 
accessible to the working family. Today, there are over 200 million 
cars and light trucks on the road in the United States--more than 1 for 
every licensed driver.
  The founding of this company has become a legend. With $28,000 in 
cash, Ford and 11 associates founded what would become one of the 
world's largest corporations. The first moving assembly line was put 
into operation in Highland Park, MI, in 1913. This plant could produce 
a complete chassis in about an hour and a half--eight times faster than 
before.
  At the same time, Ford began paying his workers $5 per day--more than 
double the industry average wage. This high salary attracted workers to 
Michigan from around the country and the world. The influx of 
immigrants was so great that many have called the Ford River Rouge 
complex the Michigan-annex of Ellis Island.
  Henry Ford was one of the first industrialists to hire African 
Americans. With the belief that hiring African Americans would help 
racial problems, he reached out to the Black community. By the onset of 
World War II, roughly half of Detroit's African-American workingmen 
were on Ford's payroll.
  Ford Motor Company has a long history of producing memorable 
automobiles, from the Tin Lizzie to the Explorer. In 1954, Ford 
introduced the Thunderbird, a symbol of postwar optimism. The Ford 
Mustang, introduced in 1964, quickly became synonymous with the 
American free spirit and has remained a classic American car for almost 
40 years. In 1991, the Ford Explorer defined the SUV segment of the 
market, and remains the best selling SUV in the world.
  Ford's commitment to quality and innovation continues today. Ford, 
the world's second largest automaker, will have a hybrid--part 
electric, part gasoline powered--SUV available by 2004. Ford has also 
produced a cutting-edge hybrid fuel cell car, and is dedicated to 
bringing hydrogen-powered vehicles to the market in the future.
  I am proud of Ford Motor Company's accomplishments over the last 100 
years. I am glad Ford calls Michigan home, and I enthusiastically offer 
my support for the resolution commemorating Ford's centennial 
anniversary.

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