Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 39

updated quotes, Foi I fJsent I text message A DOW: Close: 11,163.31 A NASDAQ: 14.14 Close: 2178.88 i STOCK TICKER I Ml witt Inside Industry Report 2 People 2 Stocks 4 Markets 5 Retirees confront Ford, UAW about health care se J17A unlikely to idle more pilots 3E MSFT) or FUND TICKER (e.g., AGTHX) to 44636 (4INFO). rj fZ3 ri fj rZ I '-j www.freep.com Detroit Free Press Thursday, June 1, 2006 Business dept: 313-222-8765, J1 a lffllilW(l if 1 Ml 1 It will kick off summer selling season with 0 financing, $l000gas cards By SARAH A. WEBSTER FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER Bob Thibodeau reports flat sales at his Ford dealership in Center Line. He said the program should give showroom traffic a boost. "People certainly have gas on their mind," he said.

The new incentive program seems to reflect a bold shift in Ford's marketing strategy and perhaps the influence of Mark Fields, the new chief executive of the Americas divi- "American Idol" fame will promote the deal. The program runs through July 31. "It's simple. It's straightforward. It's going to let us go into the marketplace with a bang," said Ford spokesman Jim Cain.

"We're going to set the pace for the start of the summer." The incentive seems to fit the spirit of Ford's new "Bold Moves" campaign. It boasts that "Bold leads the way," "Bold takes a chance" and "Bold can't wait." Ford's starting the program on the same day automakers report their May sales results. So the new program could signal that the Dearborn automaker is eager to clear out some bloated inventory. Through April, the automaker's sales already were down 3.9 and the company's share of the U.S. market had dipped to 18.5, down from 19.2 for the same period a year ago.

spokeswoman said the automaker did not anticipate announcing any new offers today. Already Chrysler is offering no-interest loans on most 2006 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles and no major changes are expected. Ford's "Drive on Us" deal makes no-interest loans ranging from 36 to 72 months available for every Ford except the GT and Mustang GT. A national ad campaign featuring music from Kelly Clarkson of brand vehicles. The Ford program will help kick off the summer selling season that General Motors Corp.

usually starts with a sales program. Last year, for example, GM started a sales craze with its Employee Discount for Everyone deal. Current incentive programs expire today and a In an attempt to improve deteriorating sales and break out of the pack, Ford Motor Co, is slated to announce a new 1 nationwide incentive program today that will offer no-interest loans and $1,000 gas cards to buyers of most 2006 Ford- See SALES, 2E WALKING THE LINE MACKINAC POLICY CONFERENCE Daniels to state's otential Ads with actory execs to lure businesses By TOM WALSH FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRI TER I Web site to let consumers compare hospitals. 2E Economic Development Corp. President James Epolito, Daniels and executives of two technology companies expanding in Michigan.

A national radio, TV and targeted print advertising blitz begins today, featuring a tagline boasting that Michigan busi- MACKINAC ISLAND -Michigan is expected to unveil a new $10-million marketing campaign today that features actor Jeff Daniels touting the state as a great place to do business. Details are to be rolled out this morning at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Michigan See MACKINAC, 2E mMii i II 1 ii ii i i-i. mill tlinWim ifirlMll rfffl-ii MARY SCHROEDEROetroit Free Press Richard DeTata, left, Gary Hachigian, Matthew Sebastian and Bob Adas picket at Don Massey Cadillac in Plymouth on Wednesday, The four were fired days after salespeople voted to join the Teamsters union. Dealership group Sonic Automotive owns the chain.

Cadillac salesmen picket at MARKEINH4US assey dealer after firings Actor Jeff Daniels in his Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea. Top executives of technology companies will also be featured in the ads. They joined Teamsters after commissions cut By MICHAEL ELLIS FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER GM stays on top in productivity do is get rid of the older guys and get younger guys in who will work for less money." Salespeople voted 10-5 on May 17 in favor of joining Teamsters Local 283 in Wyandotte. On May 25, the four salesmen Adas, Gary Hachigian, Matthew Sebastian and Richard DeTata said management fired them, purportedly for poor sales results. "Other people that didn't get fired had less sales than we did," said Hachigian, 52, of West Bloomfield, who has sold Cadillacs for 17 years.

Sonic Automotive said in a written Sonic Automotive which owns the top-selling chain of Don Massey dealerships, cut sales commissions by about 50 in March, they talked about joining the Teamsters. Don Massey, a fixture among metro Cadillac dealers since 1967 and whose voice is. familiar to radio listeners, sold his empire of dealerships to Sonic four years ago. "Mr. Massey always paid us good, treated us fair.

Sonic Automotive, all they care about is making as much money as they can," Adas said on the sidewalk by the dealership, at the junction of 1-275 and Ann Arbor Road. "Really, what I think they're trying to Report to show Ford's progress After 27 years of selling cars at Don Massey Cadillac, Bob Adas stood outside the dealership in Plymouth with a picket sign in his hands on Wednesday after he and three other salesmen were fired days after joining the Teamsters union. The four car salesmen had never been members of any union in their lives. But all said that after dealership group By JASON ROBERSON FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER See CADILLAC, 3E Ikea to offer prizes to 1st shoppers oh opening day By GRETA GUEST TREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER hours, according to industry insiders who asked not to be named out of respect for the Harbour Report's reputation for confidentiality. Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement efforts do not always immediately affect the bottom line, but efficient manufacturing operations can provide automakers with a cost advantage over their rivals.

Consequently, companies are at a competitive disadvantage if they waste time and money in making their vehicles. "It impacts the automaker from a profitability standpoint," said Erich Merkle, auto analyst with consulting firm IRN Inc. "It is one facet that goes into that profitability mix, but there are also other factors that go into it because GM still lost quite a bit of money last year." Details of the report are to be released at 10 a.m. today. Contact JASON ROBERSON at 813-222-8703 or jrobcrsonfifrccpress.com.

Business writer Sarah A. Webster contributed to this report. Sean Ryan, 33, of Howell, an Ikea logistics manager, describes how the self-service warehouse works on Wednesday in Canton. i -ml i i i' General Motors Corp. retained its No.

1 status among Detroit automakers, topping Ford Motor Co. and Daimler-Chrysler AG's Chrysler Group in the annual benchmark study of worker productivity expected to be released today. For the fourth straight year, the world's largest automaker cut the number of labor hours it takes to assemble a vehicle, stamp out its parts and build the engine and transmission, according to industry insiders who have seen this year's Harbour Report. Ford is expected to post modest improvements in this year's report, for a fourth-straight year of progress. GM cut about an hour off the time needed last year to build a vehicle to just more than 33 hours, from an average of 34.33 day festivities include a variety of bands, balloon artists and face painters, and a flag-raising ceremony.

Pernille Lopez, president of Ikea North America, and Mark McCaslin, Ikea Canton store manager, will open the store with a traditional Swedish log-sawing ceremony as well. Ikea officials gave 81 reporters a tour of the store on Wednesday. The store is the 28th Ikea store to open in the United States and employs 400. Contact GRETA GUEST at 313-223-4192 or gguesti9frecpress.com. Ikea plans to reward more people for waiting in line for the Canton store to open next Wednesday.

The first 5,000 people who visit the Swedish home retailer at Ford and Haggerty roads will receive envelopes with vouchers for gilt cards ranging from $10 to $250 or food. The first 100 people in line will receive a free PoSng armchair, a curved wooden sling chair that sells for $79. The first 100 children in line REGINA H. BOONEDetrolt Free Press under 18 will receive a heart- of 10 $1,000 Ikea gift cards, shaped cushion. The store opens Wednesday And from June 7 to 11 all visi- at 9 a.m., but people can start tors can enter a drawing for one lining up on Monday.

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