Henry Ford / "Ford Motor Co."

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Henry Ford was the major creative force which has provided creation of mass assembly conveyor manufacture as a whole and development of automobile branch and automobilization of the population in particular. It has helped clearing of arising automobile branch of the USA of financial dependence of East states and has achieved a combination of the high-efficiency scale and vertically integrated manufacture to a high wage level and the low prices for production. Its innovations were widely copied in other branches and the countries though cars Ford used exclusive popularity first of all thanks to application in them of the advanced technical achievements.

Henry Ford was the major creative force which has provided creation of mass assembly conveyor manufacture as a whole and development of automobile branch and automobilization of the population in particular. It has helped clearing of arising automobile branch of the USA of financial dependence of East states and has achieved a combination of the high-efficiency scale and vertically integrated manufacture to a high wage level and the low prices for production. Its innovations were widely copied in other branches and the countries though cars Ford used exclusive popularity first of all thanks to application in them of the advanced technical achievements.

G.Ford's achievements promoted urbanization process, building of roads, development of agriculture and service sphere, let alone industrial production. G.Ford was the excentric philanthropist and magnanimous avtokratom (not always). The estimation of its person and its activity still call many disputes.

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Henry Ford (Henry Ford) was born on July, 30th, 1863 in a family of the American farmer near to Dearborn in Michigan. The family was rather poor, the father for days on end worked in the field. Somehow twelve years Henry with parents has gone to Detroit and for the first time has seen crew with the motor - lokomobil. The cart without a horse has made strong impression upon the clever boy.

From this day Henry for days on end tried to design the moving mechanism. Tools became its toys, its pockets have been filled by nuts and after parents have presented Henry hours, it has disassembled them and has collected again.

In 15 years Henry repaired the broken hours to neighbours and from any stuff collected the elementary mechanisms. It has not finished school. At the age of 16 years Henry have been accepted for three years by the pupil of the mechanic in James Flauera's mechanical workshop in Detroit.

Then it has started to work as the mechanic in Detroit Drydock Company, but has soon returned on a parental farm where has based a small industrial workshop and was arranged for the incomplete working day in Westinghouse Engine Company. Ford has returned to Detroit to receive a place of the engineer in Edison Illuminating Company, and in 1893 became its chief engineer. In 1888 he married Clara Brajant who in five years has given birth to it to the unique son, Edsela.

It has collected the first internal combustion engine in 1893, and its first car with the four-cycle engine was born in three years. The car was called "Kvadratsikl" and has soon been sold for 200 dollars. Money from sales has gone on creation of the second car.

In 1896-1903 G.Ford, using financial support of various sponsors, switching on and what in 1899 have founded Detroit Automobile Company, has published some more models of cars. In Detroit Automobile G.Ford took up a post of the managing director, but has failed, mainly in the absence of experience on the manufacture organisation, Less than in a year the company samolikvidirovalas, and instead of it has been created Henry Ford Company.

In a month the first car has been let out. In 1905 in the company there were disagreements, - Ford's partners have refused to let out cheap cars. Alexander Malkolmson has sold the share and Ford became the owner of a control package, the president of the company. Since 1908 Company Ford in the world has begun for the first time release of mass cheap cars - «Model T». In the first year the corporation has sold 10 thousand cars. The small price was feature of all cars Ford. Successful businessman Henry Ford has created a full cycle of manufacture: from extraction of ore before car release. In January 1928 the new model of the car Ford - «Model And» has been created. The protective windscreen became an innovation. Now it is an obligatory element of the car.

Cooperation of the well-known businessman with Russia has begun in 1909. In St.-Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa company Ford offices have been opened. In 1913 great American businessman Ford in the world has introduced for the first time the conveyor in manufacture. The largest foreign buyer of tractors Ford was the USSR. The world famous company delivered to Soviet Union of all cargo motor vehicles of 85 %, cars and tractors.

Ford perfectly knew, that stability and a prosperity in a working environment means stability and corporation prosperity. In January, 1914 he declared increase of the minimum daily payment to five dollars, that poverglo competitors in a shock - for example, on General Motors workers received a day $2.5. But also here has not done without reefs: actually, these $5 consisted of two equal parts - salaries and «profit shares», and "share" was received only by those workers who corresponded special to "efficiency standards», and whose nominees have been approved by social department of corporation.

This most social department traced all occurring on the enterprise and shamelessly interfered with private life of workers and employees; it is enough to tell, that its staff included hundreds informants. In reply to charges in infringement of the rights of citizens of Henry Ford said, that these «small inconveniences» - a payment for high incomes of workers. As democracy there really also did not smell, there was only a freedom in choosing: to obey or be dismissed with good job.

Anyway, but next ten years to get on one of fordovskih factories became dream of many Americans; in expectation of a place it was necessary to stand months (that is to be registered) in turn.

For immigrants it to appear at the conveyor meant the end of drudgeries and an embodiment of hopes of the cloudless future. Workers Ford concerned in a fatherlike way: for them it has opened educational programs, has created health services system, has got tradition of collective picnics and dinners. It has founded fund of the name which actives are estimated today in $6.6 billion.

At that time the majority of firms tried to pay in the worker the least possible salary and to sell the products for a ceiling price. However G.Ford has established the price for «Model T» at is minimum possible level (for nineteen years of release of this model the price for it has decreased from $950 in 1908 to $270 in 1927) to sell so much cars, how much will be possible; thus it adjusted the price taking into account labour productivity and release volumes.

Reached by 1920 bolshej parts of to what he originally aspired. G.Ford became more and more self-satisfied and unpredictable. Sometimes he ruthlessly addressed with the managers, quite often dismissing best of them.

Its models gradually became outdated technically as in them brakes were applied, transmission and the four-cylinder engines developed still in 1920 or 1930th Company Ford gradually lost leadership in motor industry and in 1936 on sales volumes it has appeared only on the third place after General Motors and Chrysler (though in 1932 there has been begun release of new engine V-8).

In the Second World War G.Ford's company gave a lot of attention to release of military production. Henry Ford has transferred apopleksichesky blow, and his son Edsel exhausted with intrigues inspired by his father, hard was ill. After 1925 G.Ford has ceased to penetrate into all details of job Ford Motor Company, having passed the majority of duties on a management of it Edselu. Over job of factory of the company up to leaving on pension in 1944 supervised «Iron CHarli» Sorensen to which the organisation is in many respects obliged by preservation of the unity. G.Ford, Henry's II grandson, has held a post of the factory manager in 1943, became the vice-president of firm in 1944 and its president - in September, 1945, two years prior to death of the grandfather. At the age of 27 years Henry Ford II has started transfer of the company into output for a peace time.