Kansas City Assembly Plant employees kick off ‘Truck of Texas’ Trophy Tour Kansas City Assembly Plant employees kick off ‘Truck of Texas’ Trophy Tour
DALLAS – March 5, 2012 – The “Truck of Texas” trophy is on its way back to Texas after making a stop at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri where the award-winning truck is built. The Texas Auto Writers Association named the 2012 Ford F-150 the “Truck of Texas” after the annual Truck Rodeo in October.
Employees at the plant enjoyed having the opportunity to see up close the prestigious trophy that stands nearly three-feet-tall and represents Ford’s commitment to quality. F-150 Lean Manufacturing Manager Will Cowell, a veteran KCAP employee who has dedicated 20 years to Ford, praised the work ethic of his colleagues on receiving the accomplishment.
“In 2011, Kansas City built the best quality truck (F-150) in North America,” Cowell said. “That’s possible because of the men and women at the plant. A big thanks to all the employees of the Kansas City plant.”
Cowell also explained why Texas and the F-150 work so well together.
He said, “We’re like matched pairs and matched partners. Texas has a saying ‘Don’t Mess with Texas,’ and Ford’s saying is ‘Built Ford Tough.’ What better partnership!”
Forty-eight vehicles were evaluated by 57 registered TAWA members. Ford won in seven additional categories for its trucks, crossovers and EcoBoost™ engine technology. Trophies were presented for the following awards:
- · Truck Line of Texas: Ford Motor Company
- · CUV of Texas: 2012 Ford Edge
- · Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-250 King Ranch Super Duty
- · Luxury Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-150 Platinum EcoBoost
- · Full-Size Pickup Truck: 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
- · Mid-Size CUV: 2012 Ford Edge Limited
- · Outstanding Feature: Ford EcoBoost Engine Technology
The Truck of Texas trophy will be on display for guests of the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo from February 28 – March 18. The trophy will then go on a statewide dealer tour through September.
Former NHRA.com Editor, Rob Geiger, Joins “In Wheel Time” Team
Award winning writer and former editor of www.NHRA.com, Rob Geiger, is the newest contributor to join the In Wheel Time team. Rob is a wonderful addition to IWT and will be a great asset in expanding the coverage of our Toy Time segment including NHRA Drag Racing, SuperCross and other motorsports events as well as human interest stories about the competitors.
After eight years as senior editor of NHRA.com award-winning journalist, Rob Geiger, founded his www.go2geiger.com website in the spring of 2008. His goal was to provide drag racing enthusiasts with an unbiased news outlet. Featuring a staff of respected and pedigreed journalists, go2geiger.com strives to deliver clear, concise, and well-researched stories on all aspects of drag racing.
Geiger became well known in the drag racing world through his daily work on NHRA.com, his meticulous stat-keeping, the Associated Press stories he supplied to the general media, the content that filled event programs, and his numerous regular appearances on radio programs across the country. He remains the drag racing editor for AutoWeek magazine and SPEED.com, which he has partnered with through go2geiger.com.
Geiger also is the managing partner of geiger media LLC., a turn-key media and sponsor relations firm serving drag racing, motorcycle racing, angling, and winter sports. Clients of geiger media include GEICO, Lucas Oil, JEGS High Performance, FireIce, ZaZa Energy, Royal Purple Raceway and the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.
An honor graduate at the University of Houston, Geiger resides in Kingwood, Texas, with his wife Lori, daughter Sara, and son Rob Jr..
