bascho

Sorry about that, I guess I didn't really expand on that thought. My point is that people who hate the company they work for should find another job. I'm not talking about hating the office you're in or the people you work with, I am talking about hating the brand, the image, the products. Everyone may have issues with a certain facet of their business......but if you care about the company then you will try to help fix the problems. Those people that don't care about the company have no interest in fixing anything.

BTW, are you sure Bill Gates is still the richest man on earth? I know he was 5 years ago, but things may have changed. I honestly don't know the answer, I just wonder if he is still the richest man in the world.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Yes he is. The Microsoft shares on his hands .... can .... put him .... on the richest ...

forbes Can show ya that, I looked at it a month or 2 ago, I think it was like 46 billion and second was Warren Buffett with 44 billion

http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/2...hisSpeed=20000

10th - 14th Place are owned by Walton's family, AKA WAL-MART (Yea, made in china stuff got them rich ...)

bascho

I agree that Ford has made mistakes and big companies are lousy for that. The real question is can they learn from them? Talking to my dad, who's been through this several times during his 3 decade tenure, he says yes and no. He says that Ford will learn to do some things better.....but eventually get caught in the same cycles all over again. I am relatively new to the business, so I am optimistic that Ford is changing and hope that we can sustain that mindset.

I really feel like Ford needs more people like me out there defending the our Company and helping change mindsets. I know many of you dismiss most of what I have to say about Ford because you have already given up on them. Unfortunately that is not going to stop me from trying to change your mind about Ford

I know the MS6 does not compete with the STI or EVO.....but it's close enough for most people.

bascho

Thanks for the info. I think he is still down from a few years ago, I think I remember him being worth over $60 Billion at some point in time. I was fully expecting some oil baron in Saudi Arabia to beet out Gate this year.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

I used to like Ford alot, I mean its still a big company with lots of great people.

but I mean , its still always the exec who will determine a company's future.

Ford gotta work on that. Well at some point I gotta thank you to Ford, I cant get my 8 without them :-P

*off topic talk*
Oh by the way, Hmm Im sorta confused the relation between Mazda and Ford all the time. Its a little off topic , however. :-(

Nah, As long as people use computers and Windows is here, Mr. Gates gonna stay. Microsoft shares dropped alot for the past few years. well should I say the whole market ? So when the market goes up, his $$$ goes up.

bascho

This has been discussed before....but I'll give you a quick summary. Ford holds 30% of Mazda's shares (stock). 30% makes Ford the majority shareholder of Mazda and thus occupies more seats on Mazda's board of directors. But the relationship is more integrated than that, almost as much as the relationship with Ford's wholly-owned subsidiaries.

zoom44

Ford owns Mazda. thats the relationship. Ford hires and fires the President of the company and other execs.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

okie ...

Hmm ... maybe they should put more money to the Rotary Devlopment ? ... :-)

Ok, enough :-)

ASH8

Actually how the Ford influence came to Mazda was years before the US arm of Ford steps it, origingally.......and this is a brief explanation...

After the death of Mr.Matsuda the last main surviving executive and family founder of Mazda, financial constraints occurred over the fuel crisis of 1973/74/75, Mazda invested heavily in the RX-4 and all rotaries, but, sales slumped DRAMATICALLY, the Sumitomo Bank took control.(as far as I know are still to this day the MAJORITY financial share holder of MAZDA, more than the 30% or Ford US).

After the Sumitomo Banks rescued Mazda from bankruptcy, Ford Australia (which is US owned..dah), actually bought 25% of the share from the bank, and had one(1) Australian board member.

Ford US realised Mazda's worth and purchased another 5% about 10 years later, and another 2 board members to 3, add "Booth" as president that brings the total to 4 out of the 14 board members.

Later a US CEO was installed to represent their 30% share more "appropriately".


In the US you may view it differently, but here in Australia and the UK 51% is a majority share and controlling interest/ownership, and the same applies in Japan.

Out of a total of 46 executives at Mazda Japan, 12 are American, 1 Australian, and the remaining 33 are Japanese.

ASH8

If you purchase 30% of anything, do you really think you own it?

Yes, by agreement Lewis Booth is the president, and yes, Ford US can hire or fire executives, Ford US has managerial control of Mazda Japan, but they do not have total ownership/control of Mazda Motor Corporation.

A Japanese owned Bank has the largest slice of the cake, do you really think a bank owned by other shareholders are going to give complete control, of an asset that they own a financial majority in to another company?, they are not going to expose themselves by giving Ford a free reign.

What net profit share do you think Ford US gets from Mazda, more than it owns, of course not, get real you guys please.

If and when Ford buys more that 50% you can then say that they have a controlling interest/ownership of Mazda.

BlueEyes

What percentage does this bank own?

bascho

Exactly......good question BlueEyes. I've never heard of any other company owning more shares of Mazda then Ford Motor Company. Also, you don't need to have 51% of the shares to have majority control.......you just have to have more than the second largest shareholder. If Ford had a 51% stake in Mazda, then they would have absolute control of Mazda and could make every decision in the board room.

I am really interested in this bank owning more shares of Mazda then Ford.....

ASH8

Bascho...

The real reason that Japanese/Asian made cars (small) cars have done so well in the US like Australia since the early 1970's is because they offered a superior build quality and reliability when compared the the locally made product, to this day they continue to maintain a strong customer base.

All the import brands you mentioned earlier may only still have a small share of your market, however, without them GM and Ford all those years ago would have continued to make unreliable and poorly made/finished cars.

Thanks to these imports the local manufacturers had to change production tooling and equipment and "improve" the quality of their labour and work practices...which still have some way to go.....by your own admissions.

Americans like Australians will continue to buy large cars as the 'majority' of unit sales as you can not comfortably fit a large family in a small class car's.

ASH8

As I said originally the Sumitomo bank(Japanese) bought 100% of Mazda.. it is still around 60%...
Who do you think makes up the other 70% that Ford does not own?

zoom44

Ford owns the majority of shares . you dont need 50 percent to have a majority. everyone else just has to have less than you.

brand history
http://www.fordmotorcompany.co.za/co...tory/mazda.asp

article on the sumitomo bank interest
http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/MAZDA/tokusyu4/e980526.html

ASH8

Bascho....

You work at Ford US, you should be able to find the exact shareholder split of Mazda Japan.
I agree with you if Ford US is the largest stake holder (30%) then they have control of Mazda, I am very sure that the Sumitomo bank has a larger share, can you find out?

As far as I can recall, I don't remember the bank completely divesting themselves from MMC.

ASH8

Yeah Zoom, that South African link, says what I said from my memory...in 1996

"Mazda and Ford enter into a closer tie-up with Ford increasing its equity share from 25% to 33.4%. "

I was out by 3.4%.

I agree with what you said, I want to be convinced that there is not another stakeholder that has more than 33.4%, as I said I think and are sure that the Sumitomo Bank has more...If Basco can get the actual share split, I will agree to it...

Edit:... Thanks Zoom, I have just had a quick read of the link you supplied, I will have another look later as I have to go...

It still appears though that as of 1997, 58.8% is still owned bu another identity, I presume the Sumitiomo Bank...catch you later, thanks again Zoom!

bascho

I don't know if I can. I'll try though. Isn't Mazda a publicly traded company with shares traded in open stock markets? I am not sure. I knew Ford had 33.4%.....I just say 30% percent because it's easier. I didn't realize that Ford had offered to buy 51% at one point in time (thanks for the article Zoom). Based on the article I am not totally convinced that the Sumitomo had actually owned Mazda at all......they may have bailed Mazda out with large corporate loans and that is why they had so much interest in Ford getting involved. I am really going to research this topic now....both for this discussion and for my own personal knowledge.

Animagix

would be awesome if Ford could produce a Focus that's similar to the WRC car. AWD + Turbo would sell and compete with subies and VW's.

zoom44

Ford now has 33.7%
http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/index.htm

http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/st1.htm

http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/st2.htm

ASH8

Thanks Bacho... I would really like to know the actual split, as I said I am going on what happened when I was working with Mazda ,and for memory all those years ago, yes, the Bank bailed Mazda out, I am also not sure of the load structure, I still think then that they had almost total control, Mazda was very sick financially, I hope you can source out the detail.
Cheers..
Have to go..

zoom44

i posted the info last post previous page

zoom44

here it is again for folks using the normal posts per page like myself

Ford now has 33.89%
http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/index.htm

http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/st1.htm

http://www.mazda.com/investors/03kabu/st2.htm

bascho

I found this in a Google search:

About Mazda Motor Corporation

Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. Overseas sales account for more than half of total turnover. Mazda has two main production sites in Japan and 19 overseas facilities. Overseas sites include joint ventures based in the United States, and in Thailand with Ford Motor Company, Mazda's largest shareholder.

Contact:

Mazda Motor Corporation
Mr K. Yoshitake
yoshitake.k@tky.mazda.co.jp
+81-82-282-1111

bascho

Nice post Zoom That's why you da boss of this shiiiit