It’s hard to believe the Rouge power plant explosion happened 25 years ago today. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the worst day of my life. I could see the smoke from my office window and took off for the elevator. It was a dangerous scene for everyone, including our employees and first responders. Nothing will ever make that experience any less tragic, but I’m very proud of the way we came together as a company to support the grieving families and employees. Beyond sales and profits, we’re a company that cares for each other. That was true 25 years ago, and it’s still true today.
Matt O'Leary
5mo
Bill - I also remember it like it was yesterday. My brother-in-law worked at the power plant, but was fortunate not to be working that shift. He still was overcome with grief at losing some of his friends. I always admired how to ran to the scene and showed such compassion and caring - a true leader then and now. Thank you!
Jeff Holt
5mo
Remember that day too … you handled it with class and compassion, I was proud be a Ford employee as we all grieved together.
David Soubly
5mo
Bill -- I remember the day as well. We were working in Ford ITHQ-A, nearby, and as I recall, a portion of our offices were set aside as contingency command and control for people who needed to be close by. But what I recall most was the leadership you displayed. Unlike some who saw the issue through public relations or operational or financial lenses, you saw it in human terms and acted accordingly, going to the front lines of the disaster to be with people whom you knew were just as much the backbone of the organization as those with offices in WHQ, ITHQ, National Parts, Engineering Buildings 1, 3, 4 and 5, or any of a host of locations in Michigan and around the world. (Continued)
Gary Johnson
5mo
I remember the the 20th, we had UAW, Family members and other leadership gather at the memorial at the Rouge. It might have been 10 below wind chill, the support and thoughts to our Ford family was outstanding. Something many of us will never forget. It is as family, that cares for each other, no matter what. Thank you Bill for being the person who carries the core family values for all of us.
Eduardo Fajardo
5mo
In Ford People and Safety always are first one priority, we care each other ever.
Scott Leonardi
5mo
That was a difficult time, but the response by so many employees to come together to re-group was amazing. I was a young supervisor at Dearborn Stamping Plant at the time and part of a small group of UAW and Salaried workers who continued to work to supply parts to our truck plants using torpedo heaters to stay warm and generators to power the equipment after the explosion. So many people came together on that day and the days that followed and was a testament to the resilience of this company and the families that work here.
Henry Budesky
5mo
Thank you for your support over the years. I have always been proud to work for the Company that bears your name. I was never afraid to make a decision. I always knew that I had the support to make a decision that while it may not be popular it was morally the right thing to do. Thank you for all you do every day for each of us at Ford.
David Soubly
5mo
(Part Two) Through your actions you demonstrated what we all knew but sometimes took for granted -- that all of us, in positions high or humble, close to the product or seemingly far removed -- all of us were part of the Ford family that day. And while we mourned the losses and could only imagine the anguish felt by those directly affected by the strategy, it was your presence that galvanized the actions and ensured that we all would remember the lesson that leadership is best expressed through competent, compassionate service. I've been retired from Ford for six years now, and while my work now gives me the opportunity to see how many other organizations struggle with the challenges of the day, I am still at heart a Ford person, as were my mother, my uncle, my grandfather and (briefly) my son. I continue to converse with Ford colleagues and look for ways to meet challenges arising since I've left. That's the Ford influence. As Bruce Blythe once said to me, "You can leave the Company, but the Company never leaves you." Wishing you well on this difficult but memorable anniversary.
Greg Stone
5mo
Your leadership on that day was everything Bill.
Chief Executive Officer at Walbridge
5moYour compassionate leadership motivated everyone that day. The incident impacted all our lives. We were honored to be part of the restoration Team and stand shoulder to shoulder in the aftermath.