Retirement and Gratitude
I had the privilege of emailing Mr. Bill Ford last week, just ahead of my planned retirement this Friday, May 29th. Hard to believe, honestly. It’s been an incredible 27-year run at Ford, and I can say with complete honesty there was never a single day I didn’t learn something new — mostly engineering-related, sometimes just new and creative ways a vehicle program can go sideways.
Twenty-seven years at Ford, 41 years total in the automotive industry meat grinder. I jumped head first into the engineering world as a young man while still in university, which in hindsight explains the caffeine dependency and my inability to ignore a strange noise coming from anything mechanical. I was destined to end up at Ford. The company is part of my DNA and runs through my bloodstream. Over the years, I had the privilege of designing, validating, and launching some of the most iconic engines and vehicles in our history, and later played a role to usher in electrified powertrains as the industry evolved.
Dad always told me I’d know when it was time to hang up my boots. That day has arrived. As I look back on the incredible people, programs, victories, disasters, deadlines, domestic and overseas travel, and countless cups of bad coffee that somehow fueled all of it, I truly realize just how fortunate I’ve been. I have been over-blessed to have never had to pound the pavement in search of a job, never had a single sleepless night of unemployment. Life is so darn good and I am truly grateful.
#NoMoFoMoCo
Mr. Ford,
It has been one of the great privileges of my life to work for the greatest American company for the past 27 years. With my retirement next Friday, it marks a pause — though certainly not an end — to five generations of my family standing proudly alongside yours at Ford Motor Company. I have been honored to contribute through my work in Engine Engineering and High Voltage Powertrain Design during one of the most transformative eras in our company’s history. Every time I heard you say, “We are a family company,” those words rang deeply true to me. The Minks have always believed — and proudly said — that blue Ford blood runs through our veins. I have often joked that the Blue Oval should read “Ford and Mink,” because our family has been invested in this company for as long and as deeply as any family could hope to be.
Our story began generations ago.
My great-grandfather, John Kass, worked in the early days at the Rouge. After suffering an injury in an iron accident, he recovered while working as a gardener at the Ford Estate, where he had the opportunity to interact personally with Henry Ford himself. His daughter, my grandmother Elsie, proudly spoke for years about dancing with Henry at formal events hosted at FEL. She always insisted he was an excellent dancer. Years later, I had the privilege of working in FEL myself and deeply appreciated both its grandeur and my family’s connection to its history long before my own time.
My grandfather, Roy, carried the torch in the Rouge Iron Foundry, pausing only to serve in Italy during World War II. My father, Jim, became the third generation to hire into Ford and, for a short time, even worked directly for his father. Dad still laughs about how Grandpa made certain no one would ever think his son received special treatment; he held him to even higher standards and expectations than everyone else. Even in Grandpa’s final moments, Ford remained with him. As he lay dying, he continued running production numbers through his mind, making certain the lines he was responsible for had met their targets. That sense of duty and pride never left him.
My father devoted his life to this company. I have never seen a man work harder, longer hours, or take greater pride in his work. He served at Dearborn Iron and Engine, as well as Flat Rock and Windsor Casting. The attached photograph of Dad, you, and me was taken during your visit to the Building 1 car show in 2016 beside his ‘68 Mustang. Meeting you meant the world to us. Dad was so thrilled he barely slept for a week afterward, and to this day he proudly shows that photo to his friends with a smile that says everything. Dad’s brothers, my Uncle Tom and Uncle Mike, also dedicated their careers to Ford at Dearborn Iron, Dearborn Assembly, and Cleveland Casting. My brother, Shawn, proudly completed his own career at Dearborn Engine and retired just a few years ago.
And now, a fifth generation has already begun touching Ford’s future. My daughter, Zoie, served as a 2024 summer intern at the Vehicle Crash Barrier Facility and was honored to receive the Alan Mulally Scholarship in 2024. She is currently attending Wake Forest University pursuing her doctorate in Biomedical Engineering — with Ford Motor Company proudly on her résumé.
Mr. Ford, Ford Motor Company was never simply where we worked. It has quite literally been the center of our family life. Around dinner tables, at weddings, family reunions, holidays, and even funerals, the conversation always found its way back to Ford. The pride we have carried in representing this company has always been genuine and enduring. Thank you for carrying forward your family’s legacy in a way that continues to make families like mine feel seen, valued, and proud to belong to the Ford Motor Company family. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to wear the Blue Oval.
With deepest gratitude and respect,
Jamie R. Mink
Building 1 Car Show / Dearborn, MI / June 2016
