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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Bill Ford says he has no plans to leave the family business
At a time of great uncertainty for the automotive industry, one thing is certain: Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., says he plans to stay in his role for 'a while.' 'Everybody has a sell-by date,' Ford told reporters after a panel at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. 'But I also feel like, in many ways, I'm hitting my stride. I feel like I have the right combination of experience and energy to help provide leadership for the company for some time. 'Will the day come when I won't feel that way?' he continued. 'Yes, of course, and I have no idea when that is, but I'm not planning on it. It's not there yet.' The comments from the 68-year-old great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford comes amid a historic transformation for the Blue Oval. It's seeking to balance continued demand for gas-powered vehicles and an electrified future, to transform its products into software-driven machines and to navigate a shifting environment when it comes to trade, regulations and incentives. Some might argue that such upheaval could demand new leadership, but Ford, who's been with the company since 1979 and has been executive chairman since 1999, underscored the importance of persisting values of the company, a familiar name and face for the corporation, and the intentionality behind long-term partnerships like Ford's 1977 joint venture in Turkey with Koç Holding with original relations dating to 1928. 'We're not going to take golden parachutes and ride off into the sunset. We're here through thick and thin, and I feel like I've proven that over the last 25 years,' Ford said. 'It's really setting an intention for the future of where this company needs to go.' But there are many obstacles in the way. The latest is the 'big beautiful' budget bill that could remove production tax credits for electric vehicle battery manufacturers that were established in the Inflation Reduction Act that former President Joe Biden signed in 2022. Bill Ford confirmed losing that could imperil the $3 billion battery plant Ford is building in south-central Michigan's Marshall and the 1,700 jobs it's expected to create. 'It needs to be kept in place, the production tax credit, that we have built the business case on Marshall around that,' Ford said. 'Politicians can agree or disagree on whether those kind of things are desirable, and that's fine, but don't change the rules once you've already made the investment, because that, to me, is just a question of fairness, and that's unfair.' He added: 'If it goes away, it really puts in peril the plant and the jobs in Michigan.' Ford called for greater stability on policies in general from Washington, D.C., as the automotive industry has longer lead times to build product than political terms. He said the same is true in states like Michigan and voiced support for Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent for governor, because he 'understands businesses and the decisions we face.' Ford also noted the Ford family meets quarterly to discuss the company. Daughter Alexandra Ford English is a member of Ford's board and said she is in frequent contact with her father about the company's future. 'We are always focused on the future,' English said during the panel. 'A lot of people think about family involvement as being protectors of the past, and that is absolutely not how we view our role. A lot of that stems from Dad and how he thinks about the company. But we just have such a rich opportunity set ahead of us. The industry is changing so rapidly, and so I'm really focused on everything that's going to come for our company.' One example she pointed to when she came to the company in 2017 was texting her father pictures and videos of aging office buildings that needed repairs. The automaker has been investing in improvements to its buildings in Dearborn, including a new production development center slated to open later this year, as well as its $940 million advanced mobility campus in Corktown anchored by the restored Michigan Central Station. The company this week will announce the hotel brand that will occupy the top floors of the once-derelict, 1913-built former train depot. Already a Detroit destination ahead of the first anniversary of its reopening party on June 6, the station has become a hotspot for weddings, other events and visits by more than 300,000 people. 'And there's really not much to see yet,' Ford said. 'We're going to announce the hotel next week.' Michigan Central Innovation District LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of Ford charged with running the campus, had sought zoning approval from the city for a hotel to occupy the never-used top floors. A year ago, the selection process had been down to a few finalist brands with the goal of a special hospitality solution for the landmark whose rooms wouldn't be inaccessible in price. Limited retail so far has opened in the station, including a location of the east-side coffee shop Yellow Light and Neighbor x Folk, a creation of Rohani Foulkes behind Detroit's James Beard-nominated cafe Folk. There also a souvenir shop for the station. Additionally, the depot in the fall became the headquarters of Ford's Model e electric vehicle division and occupied by Integrated Services software employees. The first occupant was a lab for Code Next, a computer science education program from Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC for Detroit high school students. 'People love working down there,' English said. 'It's just a much more urban feel than you get in some of our other buildings. And people coming from other cities want that.'
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Two takeaways from business-focused Detroit mayoral debate
Candidates for Detroit mayor butted heads on what constitutes "experience" during a debate Thursday evening at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Why it matters: In the debate and throughout the conference, candidates are showcasing their platforms, leadership abilities and willingness to work with businesses, while courting potential supporters — including those with deep pockets. State of play: The annual convening of political and business leaders is organized by the Detroit Regional Chamber, whose political action committee board members could be among business leaders to offer support. The board will meet in June to discuss if they'd endorse a mayoral candidate before or after the primary. Those debating were City Council member Fred Durhal III, City Council president Mary Sheffield, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. and former police chief James Craig. Here are two takeaways from the debate, which included rebuttals, unlike previous discussion forums. "Experience matters," as Jenkins said and others expressed. But candidates disagreed about what having experience means, and whose history of impact inside or outside government will help Detroiters the most. "Talk to the people in the neighborhood and see whether or not they agree with the past performance. It doesn't matter how experienced you are if your experiences don't change the experiences of the people that live in this city," said Kinloch, who has argued that Detroiters want to see a different kind of leader. Durhal said that he disagreed, that "we are in a critical time here in the city of Detroit, and we cannot turn that over to someone who has to have on-the-job training." Weighing in on Duggan: Candidates were asked what Mayor Mike Duggan has done right and wrong on business issues. Jenkins said the mayor did well attracting business and jobs, and rebuilding confidence in the city. Now, though, Detroit needs to assure the same growth is happening equitably in neighborhoods outside greater downtown. Craig said Duggan did a "phenomenal job" returning services to Detroiters after the bankruptcy, but the next mayor needs to make it easier to open a business here. Meanwhile, Sheffield highlighted Duggan's partnership with the City Council and the mayor's "foundation," while saying poverty needs to be dealt with and neighborhoods need more investment.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral candidates battle for a spot in Mike Duggan's shadow
MACKINAC ISLAND ― When Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan took part in his first mayoral debate, in 2013 on Mackinac Island, he was fighting for a spot in the shadow of state-appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr, who led the city through bankruptcy before handing control back to elected leaders in 2014. Last week, five leading candidates for mayor took the island debate stage to battle for a spot in the shadow of Mike Duggan. In 2013, the city was shedding its paralyzing debt in bankruptcy court and preparing to usher in a new era of investment, service restoration and hope. That era, financially, is coming to a close, with long-deferred pension payments coming due, stimulus money drying up and the specter of dramatic federal funding cuts looming under President Donald Trump. Each of the five candidates debating at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference sought to ride a precarious line ― promising to maintain the trajectory of economic progress fostered by Duggan, who is stepping down at the end of this year to run for governor as an independent, and pledging to deliver more direct results to the neighborhoods most in need of investment. 'We're that phoenix that has been rising from the ashes. We need to make sure that it doesn't crash into a window,' said mayoral candidate Fred Durhal III, a Detroit city councilman whose father, Fred Durhal Jr., was a candidate on that 2013 debate stage. 'The next mayor will face a completely different financial reality than the current mayor,' mayoral candidate and former council president Saunteel Jenkins said during Thursday's debate. For Solomon Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church ― the only candidate at the debate without government experience ― it's particularly important to establish himself as the candidate who could best take Duggan's ball and run with it. 'While we come from a dark place of dismal debt, (Duggan) gave us a great fiscal foundation for us to do bigger and bolder,' he said. Former Police Chief James Craig, appointed in 2013 by Orr, pointed out he's the only candidate who served directly under Duggan, arguing that practical experience gives him an edge: 'There's no book for this. You need someone who can plug in and do it right and do it the first time.' Candidate Mary Sheffield, who has been president of the Detroit City Council since 2022 and is the frontrunner in the race, according to a Target Insyght poll released last month, said she wants to keep Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison in his role, and to expand existing initiatives around youth crime diversion and robust mental health strategy. And she believes she's best positioned to maintain a business-friendly posture. 'I will make sure that Detroit is the best place in America to start a business,' she said. Kinloch and Durhal each pinpointed a key element in that upcoming election. 'A majority of the electorate is not even engaged in the democratic process,' Kinloch said. 'The question is ― who's protecting and speaking and communicating for the people who aren't in the room,' Durhal said. Those may have been the most telling comments of the week. Four other candidates ― Todd Perkins, DaNetta Simpson, Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim ― weren't invited to appear. The five candidates debated the issues in front of a crowd of newsmakers and moneymakers, and faced a handful of groans, chuckles and heckles. But it was a far more muted crowd than those that await them back home. More from Freep Opinion: Democrats better hope Michigan Gov. Whitmer changes her mind about presidential run Improving the quality of K-12 education, and with it the potential for more families to stay in the city, remains the largest hurdle in Detroit's path to prosperity. Everyone agrees about that. Detroit's public schools do not fall under the mayor's purview. There's an elected school board ― once sidelined by emergency management and still sensitive to interference ― that is responsible for driving the district forward. But, everyone also seems to agree, the mayor's office has a key role to play in offering support in the areas of transportation and after school programming. 'I think it's important for the next mayor to build on that and fill gaps,' Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Free Press on the island Wednesday. 'The wrong leader could put us backwards. Leadership matters. Who is mayor matters … From a school district point of view, I'm hopeful that (Detroit's next) leader understands collaboration and seeking to understand problems, rather than just reacting to them.' Kinloch wants to appoint a chief educational officer to coordinate support services for the school district. Sheffield wants to expand the Community Education Commission, a Duggan-era entity that operates in northwest Detroit, to support bussing and accountability measures for both traditional and charter schools. But there was little discussion during Thursday's debate on improving overall public transit in the city, which Vitti says is a primary issue for families with children in Detroit schools, both for getting kids to school and getting parents to work. More From Freep Opinion: Medicaid cuts could drive Michigan hospitals closer to insolvency Meanwhile ― and this is a hell of a meanwhile ― Michiganders are also facing 2026 races for governor and U.S. Senate, each race with its own implications of immense proportions. Most of the candidates in those races were fiercely making the rounds on the island last week. Duggan, who is running for governor as an independent, having abandoned the Democratic Party, introduced an elaborate, statewide school improvement plan that he framed as a systemic disruption that he believes would upend Michigan's two-party political system: boosting school budgets and early reading programs, career and technical education programs and threatening to fire school principals and superintendents who don't improve student performance within five years. 'Now look at that list and tell me which thing would Republicans or Democrats disagree with. There's nothing partisan about this,' Duggan said about his plan. There is, in fact, plenty that Democrats and Republicans would debate about his plan. But the message was strong. And his opponents have their work cut out for them. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democratic candidate for governor, intends her own disruptions. She calls investing in education "the whole ballgame," and sees robust mental health support for kids as key. She wants to do away with antiquated business tax breaks and incentives. And she wants to build a vast light rail across the state. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has healthy outstate name recognition, according to a Glengariff Group poll released at the conference. As a sitting sheriff, he has the strongest public safety background in the race, promising significant reforms for both police accountability and effective crime prevention. Candidates for governor, including Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and former Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, and state Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, have more than a year to stake their own claims to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who spent the week on Mackinac celebrating recent bipartisan-flavored wins with Trump backing a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air Base and efforts to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. But unlike the mayor's race, there'll be another Mackinac Policy Conference next May before those elections take place. Things generally don't change on Mackinac Island. That's kind of the point. Horse-drawn carriages, pristinely maintained historic landmarks, the faint, ever-present odor of horse manure. It's an oasis of old-timey charm, where cars are banned, isolated from Michigan's mainland, and far removed from the problems of everyday life. The annual Mackinac Policy Conference, now 45 years in ― minus a COVID-19 cancellation ― is supposed to be about progress, growth and solutions. But those solutions tend to develop at the pace of a snail making its way up the steep hill to the island's plantation-esque Grand Hotel. It all lends a sense of deja vu. Back in 2013, Detroiters were trying to figure out who to put in the mayor's office in an election of gargantuan importance. Detroiters are back in the same position. This time around, after more than a decade of debt relief, federal aid and modest-to-impressive quality of life improvements across the board and unquestionable progress, the most pressing issues are the same ― crime reduction, school improvement, affordable housing, neighborhood stability and diversifying the city's economy. In 2013, the city was approaching bankruptcy, and had nowhere to go but up. This time, Detroit has everything to lose. Khalil AlHajal is deputy editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press. Contact: kalhajal@ Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access witha Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mayoral candidates vie to replace Mike Duggan | Opinion
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
To The Point: Highlights from the Mackinac Policy Conference
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — The annual Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference drew decision-makers, business leaders and stakeholders to Mackinac Island. This year, there were two major themes. The first was trade and tariffs. Relations with Canada, a key trading partner of the nation and Michigan, have been strained recently. U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told To The Point he believes that tension will ease. 'The mandate from the president is to deliver more prosperity to the American people. The mandate for Prime Minister (Mark) Carney is to do the same thing — deliver more prosperity to the Canadian people. And as they're both successful, again, imagine what will happen to North America. More prosperity for America. I think what's damaging us right now is the uncertainty. I mean, you got personal relationships across the border,' Hoekstra said. The other topic on everyone's minds at the conference was the federal spending bill dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' The bill has made it through the U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to the U.S. Senate. Above on this episode of 'To The Point,' see comment on the bill from U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Bill Ford says he has no plans to leave the family business
At a time of great uncertainty for the automotive industry, one thing is certain: Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., says he plans to stay in his role for "a while." "Everybody has a sell-by date," Ford told reporters after a panel at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. "But I also feel like, in many ways, I'm hitting my stride. I feel like I have the right combination of experience and energy to help provide leadership for the company for some time. "Will the day come when I won't feel that way?" he continued. "Yes, of course, and I have no idea when that is, but I'm not planning on it. It's not there yet." The comments from the 68-year-old great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford comes amid a historic transformation for the Blue Oval. It's seeking to balance continued demand for gas-powered vehicles and an electrified future, to transform its products into software-driven machines and to navigate a shifting environment when it comes to trade, regulations and incentives. Some might argue that such upheaval could demand new leadership, but Ford, who's been with the company since 1979 and has been executive chairman since 1999, underscored the importance of persisting values of the company, a familiar name and face for the corporation, and the intentionality behind long-term partnerships like Ford's 1977 joint venture in Turkey with Koç Holding with original relations dating to 1928. "We're not going to take golden parachutes and ride off into the sunset. We're here through thick and thin, and I feel like I've proven that over the last 25 years," Ford said. "It's really setting an intention for the future of where this company needs to go." But there are many obstacles in the way. The latest is the "big beautiful" budget bill that could remove production tax credits for electric vehicle battery manufacturers that were established in the Inflation Reduction Act that former President Joe Biden signed in 2022. Bill Ford confirmed losing that could imperil the $3 billion battery plant Ford is building in south-central Michigan's Marshall and the 1,700 jobs it's expected to create. "It needs to be kept in place, the production tax credit, that we have built the business case on Marshall around that," Ford said. "Politicians can agree or disagree on whether those kind of things are desirable, and that's fine, but don't change the rules once you've already made the investment, because that, to me, is just a question of fairness, and that's unfair." He added: "If it goes away, it really puts in peril the plant and the jobs in Michigan." Ford called for greater stability on policies in general from Washington, D.C., as the automotive industry has longer lead times to build product than political terms. He said the same is true in states like Michigan and voiced support for Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent for governor, because he "understands businesses and the decisions we face." Ford also noted the Ford family meets quarterly to discuss the company. Daughter Alexandra Ford English is a member of Ford's board and said she is in frequent contact with her father about the company's future. "We are always focused on the future," English said during the panel. "A lot of people think about family involvement as being protectors of the past, and that is absolutely not how we view our role. A lot of that stems from Dad and how he thinks about the company. But we just have such a rich opportunity set ahead of us. The industry is changing so rapidly, and so I'm really focused on everything that's going to come for our company." One example she pointed to when she came to the company in 2017 was texting her father pictures and videos of aging office buildings that needed repairs. The automaker has been investing in improvements to its buildings in Dearborn, including a new production development center slated to open later this year, as well as its $940 million advanced mobility campus in Corktown anchored by the restored Michigan Central Station. The company next week will announce the hotel brand that will occupy the top floors of the once-derelict, 1913-built former train depot. Already a Detroit destination ahead of the first anniversary of its reopening party on June 6, the station has become a hotspot for weddings, other events and visits by more than 300,000 people. "And there's really not much to see yet," Ford said. "We're going to announce the hotel next week." Michigan Central Innovation District LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of Ford charged with running the campus, had sought zoning approval from the city for a hotel to occupy the never-used top floors. A year ago, the selection process had been down to a few finalist brands with the goal of a special hospitality solution for the landmark whose rooms wouldn't be inaccessible in price. Limited retail so far has opened in the station, including a location of the east-side coffee shop Yellow Light and Neighbor x Folk, a creation of Rohani Foulkes behind Detroit's James Beard-nominated cafe Folk. There also a souvenir shop for the station. Additionally, the depot in the fall became the headquarters of Ford's Model e electric vehicle division and occupied by Integrated Services software employees. The first occupant was a lab for Code Next, a computer science education program from Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC for Detroit high school students. "People love working down there," English said. "It's just a much more urban feel than you get in some of our other buildings. And people coming from other cities want that." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
