Audrey TeBos not only got a “new best friend” when she purchased her Ford Focus SE last month…to her surprise she also received a nest egg to help launch her career.

At first, the recent Grand Valley State University graduate  thought the multiple messages from Borgman Ford’s Matt Cameron were an unusually enthusiastic  follow-up to her recent purchase. But when she found out that in fact she’d won $5,000 in Borgman’s Cash Giveaway, to say she was shocked would be an understatement.

“I couldn’t believe it. I had to pinch myself. In fact, I still can hardly believe it,”  the 24-year-old said Friday when she visited the dealership to pick up her check.

The cash couldn’t come at a better time for Audrey. As a GVSU graduate who majored in Sports Management, she’s on a countrywide search for the perfect job to launch her career in collegiate athletics.

“I may have to to move for employment purposes, so this will help make for a very good start,” she said.

The team at Borgman is delighted that the Cash Giveaway winner turned out to be a young graduate starting out, and that the money will help launch her job search and ultimate career move.

“This is just like watching someone open a great gift on Christmas morning,” said Matt Borgman, General Manager, after meeting with Audrey to deliver her check.

Audrey’s brother, Chris, has other ideas about what she should do with her winfall, centering around gift-giving. He’d like a PS4 in his stocking. However, Audrey thinks sister-Santa may not be squandering her new-found nest-egg on games when things like rent and relocation loom.

The team at Borgman Ford Mazda would like to tip its hat to the folks who turned up to the Drive One 4Ur Community event last Saturday! The Grandville K-12 Band program was able to raise $5,000 from Ford as the result of your support. Great job, folks!

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Ford Motor Company has added its dry machining capability to six plants globally – a number that will nearly double in the next few years.

Near-dry machining, also known as Minimum Quantity Lubrication or MQL, is a process that lubricates cutting tools with a fine spray of oil exactly when and where it is needed. In comparison, conventional wet machining floods the part with metal-working fluids, requiring large amounts of fluid to cool and lubricate the tools used to make engines and transmissions.

For a typical production line, MQL can save more than 280,000 gallons of water per year, or enough to fill 5,600 average-sized bathtubs. Cologne Engine Plant in Germany decreased water use per engine by 50 percent from 2011 to 2012 by switching to the MQL process.

“Reducing the environmental footprint of our plants is a critical part of Ford’s overall sustainability commitment,” said Andrew Hobbs, director of Ford’s environmental quality office. “Expanding new processes such as MQL across our global network of facilities allows us to have an even greater impact.”

MQL also reduces the amount of oil needed to machine an engine or transmission 80 percent or more, to approximately 100 milliliters – or about half the size of an average drinking glass. Without the need for a coolant system across most engine production lines, MQL also helps to reduce energy use. While conventional wet machining produces an airborne mist, MQL eliminates that mist, improving air quality in the plant. Read the rest of this entry »

Setting aside our age old ‘Sparty vs. Wolverines rivalry, the team at Borgman Ford is geeked about a new battery lab Ford is opening in partnership with the University of Michigan. According to Ford, the purpose of the lab is to “change the world” — but we say CHARGE the world — of battery powered vehicles, that is!

The lab will help develop smaller and lighter batteries that are less expensive to produce. It’s a joint effort between Ford, the University of Michigan, battery suppliers and state and federal governments, as well as investors such as Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy. What could also potentially come out of this collaboration is the ability to produce more efficient and affordable battery-powered vehicles, and ones that could go farther on a single charge.

The other cool thing about this effort is it’s putting Michigan at the heart of battery research, not just battery production. Ford has a rich history in battery research, to the tune of 20 years. And now, it can also test experimental battery concepts on a small scale. It may be hard to believe, but battery research is still in its youth years.

“We have battery labs that test and validate production-ready batteries, but that is too late in the development process for us to get our first look,” said Ted Miller, who manages battery research for Ford. “This lab will give us a stepping-stone between the research lab and the production environment, and a chance to have input much earlier in the development process. This is sorely needed, and no one else in the auto industry has anything like it.”

The Ford electrified vehicle lineup features the Focus Electric, Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid and C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid.

Kudos to the team at Ford for it’s “Courage Talks” initiative whereby breast cancer survivors reach out to share their stories with others. On behalf of Borgman Ford, we’d love it if you’d take a moment to read this Ford Social story that explain the Models of Courage program and gives links to video messages meant to inspire those whose lives are touched by breast cancer.

It takes a warrior’s courage to fight breast cancer. It takes a warrior’s dedication to deal with the everyday triumphs and stumbling blocks. It takes a warrior’s strength to fight, day in and day out, 365 days a year. It takes a warrior to face the adversity that is cancer.

The Warriors in Pink “Models of Courage” program is just one of the ways that the organization brings to light the real life stories of breast cancer survivors. The nine women and two men selected to serve as Models of Courage come from different cities, different cultures, and different generations. They are married, single, working moms and retired grandparents. In their roles as Warriors in Pink Models of Courage, they serve as ambassadors for Ford and the fight against breast cancer, sharing their very personal stories of hope and survival, reaching out to others in need of support and encouragement. Read the rest of this entry »

With more than a million hunters licensed in Michigan and the DNR predicting a strong season, we know many of our Borgman Ford and Mazda customers are gearing up to get out into the great outdoors with the start of bow season this month and the imminent firearm season set to open in November. To tip our hats to our rugged hunters, we’ve decided to host a fun photo contest where you can post pictures of your 2013 “rack” and invite your friends to vote. Our staff will pick a grand prize winner from the top three most popular entries to receive a $500 gift card for Cabela’s — just in time for Christmas.

Contest details, sign up, and eventual gallery can be found in the promotions section of our Facebook page at http://bit.ly/15GYLGz

Check out this awesome video that shows the 2015 Ford Super Duty stacked up against its competitors in a towing competition. What an outstanding truck! Ford just released this sneak peek of the new 2015 Super Duty, and we’ve got the early scoop on the big changes you’ll see when the truck arrives in dealerships!

Making huge headlines is the Power Stroke® engine: The V-8 turbodiesel receives a turbocharger for improved power and performance, and that extra oomph will be backed by a new fuel pump and injectors, and a new temperature control system is designed to maximize everyday performance. These engine enhancements pertain to the Power Stroke in every Super Duty model.

Other upgrades include ones made to the F-450: 19.5-inch wheels are now the standard rims, and new color choices are Magnetic, Caribou, and Bronze Fire.

Now, if the King Ranch is your pick of pickups, know that it gains a new exterior look – it can be had in a new Caribou two-tone paint scheme. Inside, things get more Southwestern-looking, featuring a new Mesa Brown leather and Running W brand.

“Through premium materials and thoughtful execution, we strived to make the 2015 Ford Super Duty King Ranch have a look and a feel as authentic as the ranch itself,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager.

On the heels of ArtPrize, we found this article from Ford Social on what makes for great design in vehicles timely and interesting. Just like Grand Rapids’ public art festival, Artprize, some designs seem to capture the imagination of the public above all others. Over the years at Borgman Ford, we’ve we’ve watched the strategic design team roll out many iconic hits. Check out this article to learn about the “One Ford” philosophy of design, then stop by to drive one 😉

By Tori Tellem

What makes a particular design great? OK, that’s sort of a trick question, because design is very subjective. Take art: Two people can look at a painting and have a very different reaction to it.  Two people can look at architecture, and one may have an emotional connection while the other feels nothing. Styles of clothing either appeal or don’t.

Now think about the challenges with car design. It’s got all of that — it has to look “right” to the eyes, cause an emotional connection and be appealing. Then it’s about making that “look” speak to the masses, and often on a global scale. Your vehicle needs to not only stand out in the crowd, but also make that crowd think about buying the same vehicle for themselves. It’s also about creating an iconic design, recognizable worldwide, easily identified even by those who don’t own one.

“Great design is defined by purpose, simplicity, emotion and, above all, honesty,” explained Freeman Thomas, Ford Director of Strategic Design. “Great design must have a soul and a philosophy. Ford is about great design.”

The One Ford philosophy about design has to do with vehicles sharing characteristics that will appeal to consumers on all continents. “I consider the Stahl House, the 1965 Ford GT40 and the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi to be three significant representations of these values,” explained Freeman. Stahl House, which is considered an iconic example of modern architecture, has much in common with Ford. “Its design transcends social class. It was a case study about creating affordable housing with aspiration. Its simplicity is humbling,” Freeman said. Ford vehicles have simplicity in design,  yet also push boundaries.

The concept of Ford design is to create that appeal, no matter how the vehicle will be used. Whether consumer-oriented or for motorsports, mpg or mph — the vehicle needs to have a design that strikes a chord and gets attention. Freeman also said, “It’s about looking at something and feeling as though it’s so much more. The Fusion Energi is a car that visually looks so premium and so expensive. It is a plug-in hybrid so it is explicit in its conscience and purpose, yet it has that irrational desire – it’s a gorgeous car.”