Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

Henry Ford Industrialist

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Jul 30, 1863
  • Died: Apr 7, 1947

Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production.

Although Ford did not invent the automobile or the assembly line, he developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout most of North America and in major cities on six continents.

Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving. men, money & time

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me. best & friendship

Don't find fault, find a remedy. leadership

History is more or less bunk. history

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do. motivational

The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time. business & time

Competition is the keen cutting edge of business, always shaving away at costs. business

Money is like an arm or leg - use it or lose it. money

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. business & money

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste. time

Speculation is only a word covering the making of money out of the manipulation of prices, instead of supplying goods and services. money

It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages. money

We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker's dam is the history we make today. history

Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service. happiness

As we advance in life we learn the limits of our abilities. life

I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done. men

Business is never so healthy as when, like a chicken, it must do a certain amount of scratching around for what it gets. business

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. failure, intelligence & time

Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success. success

The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability. experience & knowledge

A market is never saturated with a good product, but it is very quickly saturated with a bad one. good

I do not believe a man can ever leave his business. He ought to think of it by day and dream of it by night. business

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right. leadership

Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them. time

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. success

There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something. happiness & work

The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life. life & money

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. work

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do. great

A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large. business

Coming together is a beginning keeping together is progress working together is success. success

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. wisdom