Full Name: Mr. Henry Ford
Date of Birth: July 30, 1863
Place of Birth: Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Died: April 7, 1947
Place of Death: Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Classification: Builders & Titans
Refusing to allow his creations to be mass distributed until they had been perfected, Henry Ford set the precedent of what would become the model of worldwide assembly and distribution. And, having lost his first company to board members who overthrew his power, he went on to create his own company that used innovative methods to sell millions upon millions of Ford Model T cars throughout America and the world.
Born on a farm in Michigan, Henry Ford had a well-to-do rearing that enabled him to explore the world around him. He became a self-taught watch repairman and supposedly could repair any timepiece that had not been crushed. He soon became fascinated with a four-wheeled go-kart device made from a small steam engine used in a sawmill. In that period, young Henry knew he would dedicate his life to four-wheeled propulsion. Later in his career, this dream moved him from the ground into the skies as he worked to perfect airplane engines during World War I and World War II.
Still in his teens, Ford moved away from his farm, which his father had hoped he would continue running, for Detroit, Michigan. There, he became an apprentice and eventually went on to repair engines for the gargantuan entity known as Westinghouse, the company that had perfected the portable steam engine that was used across the country. During the next few years, Henry married and had a child as he continued his farm labors and engine work. He soon became Chief Engineer at Edison Illuminating Company. During this time, he continued his work on the gasoline engine.
Henry soon formed the Ford Motor Company after he had perfected a design for his personal racecar. He knew then he was ready for the mass market. He also knew he had ideas that no one else had thought of – a way to mass produce, mass market, and sell his most famous car, the Ford Model T. By paying his workers double the national standard wages, Ford was able to bring in the best, most qualified workers and engineers to work for his company. Once he began his assembly line, the wealth and popularity of the company had grown exponentially. In his early autobiography, published in 1918, Ford labeled his aspirations – to outsell, outperform, and outsmart all his competition. He marketed his creations in Europe, which added greatly to his wealth and entrepreneur successes
