A 6th Generation Ford Worker Reflects On What Drives Him
Tony Serafini comes from a big Italian family, the kind where Thanksgiving is a joyful event that can sound like an argument -- a loud one.
But there's one thing on which everyone in the family agrees.
"We bleed blue," he said.
They're a Ford family through and through, with six generations proudly working on the factory floor, in offices and everywhere in between. The tradition started with his dad's great-great grandfather, who landed a job with Ford in the 1930s. It moved down eventually to his dad, Tony Sr., who worked for the company for 34 years, along with an aunt and uncle who put in 30 and 32 years respectively.
Tony Serafini, of Brooklyn, Mich., has spent 24 years so far at Ford, working now at the Dearborn Truck plant -- "home of the F-150" he says proudly -- as a quality systems operating coordinator. He works both on the floor and with engineers.
His favorite part of the job is walking the factory floor, working with employees one-on-one in a teaching and mentoring role. He explains quality processes and works with employees on both the production and design ends on how to achieve the best results.
There's no punishment for getting something wrong; It's a learning experience, a chance to grow for the sake of yourself, your-co-workers and your company.
"The commitment to quality is job one," said Serafini, a man with a sharp buzz cut, flashing green eyes and an easy smile. In his own garage, he has two Fords including a metallic green F-150 and his baby, a white California edition Mustang.
He practices what he preaches. There are no short cuts, no easy ways out. If you take care of the details, the rest takes care of itself.
"I like to coach and train," Serafini said. "There are standards and principles you have to follow."
Now his nieces and nephews are part of the team, continuing the legacy of the Serafini family and their Ford ties. "They've always treated everyone in my family really, really well," Serafini said. "Ford is family."
