OESA will host a members-only town hall meeting with Tony Brown, group vice president, global purchasing, Ford Motor Company, and Ford purchasing staff on Dec. 7, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn, Dearborn, Mich.  The town hall offers OESA members a unique opportunity to participate in an open question and answer session with members of the Ford purchasing team.  In addition, there will be time to meet Ford executives informally before and after the meeting.  This meeting is open to OESA regular and affiliate members only.

 

Without a doubt, Ford has made great strides in 2009, including raising $1.6 billion in a secondary stock offering and increasing its U.S. market share by 0.8 percent to 15.2 percent year to date.  However, its automotive operations continued to burn through $4.7 billion in operating-related cash in the first six months of the year.  As such, the intensity that Brown emphasized at his last OESA town hall to align Ford’s supply base with its strategic priority of increasing profitability at lower operating volumes continues.

 

Brown will recap Ford’s 2009 actions and provide insight into his 2010 expectations of suppliers.  Given the path that Ford is on to dramatically reduce its supply base to 750 suppliers from 1,600, all member companies should have a representative at this meeting. 

 

Following Brown’s update, there will be a 60-minute session for suppliers to ask questions and comment on Ford’s procurement initiatives.  Through their participation in this town hall, OESA members will have the opportunity to speak directly with Ford purchasing executives on relevant business issues.

 

The registration and networking session begins at 2 p.m., and Ford purchasing executives will be available at this time.  The town hall program runs from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The program includes approximately 20 minutes for Brown to deliver prepared remarks and a 60 minute question and answer session.

 

For registration assistance, contact Felece Hickman at 248.952.6401 ext. 237 or via e-mail.  For content information, contact Dave Andrea at 248.952.6401 ext. 228 or via e-mail.

Notes:  Refunds cannot be given after Nov. 30, 2009.  Substitutions are always welcome.  Pay at the door registrants are held to the same cancellation policy as prepaid registrants and will be invoiced if cancellation is not received by Nov. 30, 2009.  Fax the completed registration form to 248.952.6404 or register online with credit card payment at http://www.oesa.org.