DEARBORN, Mich.âFord Motor Co. plans to drop 175 dealers from its network of Lincoln retailers over the next two years in a bid to improve profitability for the remaining franchisees and strengthen the brand's competitive position in the luxury-car business. The reductions will be aimed at major metropolitan markets where Lincoln dealers often compete as much with each other as with dealers selling other upscale makes. The move is part of a broader strategy by the auto maker to revive Lincoln, which has seen its sales decline steadily over the last decade. Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, told reporters Tuesday that the company would start culling Lincoln dealers by offering voluntary buyouts in meetings with dealers over the next 100 days. Roughly 1,200 dealers sell Lincoln vehicles across the country, three to four times as many as the number selling rival brands such as Lexus and BMW. Mr. Fields declined to say how many dealers would be targeted for closure, adding that they would be drawn from Lincoln's roughly 500 dealers in 130 major metropolitan regions as well as its nearly 700 dealers in more rural areas. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...6.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth Job destruction de luxe...
Once again, this should be of no surprise to those who are reading through the Matrix. A generation of unwinding leverage will take a decaded and smart CEOs understand this. They also understand consumer lending will not be easy and thus, goods sold on credit will take a hit in %s. So, FORD is doing the smart thing as Capitalist. They are adapting to Change. Of course Banks, and WallStreet will resist this change until they are deconstructed and institutions merge or fold even more in numbers. This is the new economy....when NBC has a Nighttime show called OUTSOURCED about an American Manager Transfered to India to Run the only call center for his company......you know its part of day to day culture. Get use to it and profit from it.