ALS Part of “Heroic” Effort in Ford F-150 Production
At ALS, we pride ourselves on remaining true to our covenant: building strong relationships, a passion for a job well done, and exemplary service delivered by employees who genuinely care. Recently, we had the chance to prove that we live by these values every day. When one of our long-term suppliers experienced a fire, shutting down production of critical Ford F-150 motor parts, we became a critical piece in the complex system that kept things moving.
The shut-down of Meridian Magnesium created an unprecedented interruption in Ford’s own ability to manufacture its top-selling vehicle. As the Dearborn-based Ford factory scrambled to resume shipping their number one selling truck, Meridian searched for solutions to help get things up and running again. Because of our ongoing relationship, Meridian knew they could trust us to hit the ground running, and do everything in our power to help them meet their own customer commitments. Though the process was hurried, we stepped up immediately, responding to demands from both companies with only a few days notice.
Honoring Our Promises
From round the clock work – the first night ALS was engaged, President Joe Parker was operating a forklift for 12 hours! – to 24/7 availability and daily conference calls, we came through by honoring the promises we have made to customers for over 90 years. The effort to get production back up and running (called “heroic” by Ford Product Development EVP, Hau Thai-Tang) entailed coordinating logistics and shipping between multiple continents. One part weighing 87,000 lbs. was shipping on a Russian cargo plane to the UK in just 30 hours. A recent news story noted that there are only 21 planes in the world that can withstand those load requirement.
Because of the success of previous projects with ALS, Meridian had the utmost confidence that we would come through with an unmatched level of coordination and sense of urgency required to meet the strict deadlines.
Delivering Results
After only 8 days, Ford was able to resume production of the F-150 vehicles, complete with the required parts. ALS President Joe Parker considered this feat one of our proudest moments as a company, calling efforts among the companies “a masterpiece of logistics coordination and teamwork.”
If you think that your company could use this type of reliable, “Beyond Driven” service, contact us. This work is just one example of the way we operate, staying true to our covenant for every client.