OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2016. Who better to tell a vehicle’s story than those who built it?

That’s the idea behind recruiting UAW-Ford employees and other production facility workers to present the products of their facility at the North American International Auto Show. During the auto show’s public days Jan. 16-23, employees from facilities ranging from Kentucky Truck Plant to Livonia Transmission Plant were on Ford’s stand to offer an expert viewpoint direct from the source.

It’s been an unexpected surprise for current Ford owners and potential future customers.

“People are very surprised to find out that I’m actually from Kentucky Truck Plant and that I’m not just  talking about a truck I don’t know about,” said Steve Marrero, who was representing the F-series Super Duty lineup. “I know this truck; my hand is in this truck and I am building this truck. They’re very surprised about that.”

Marrero, like many of the other employees on the floor, fielded questions and listened to feedback from customers and prospective buyers. He said he’s proud to be an ambassador for the brand and was honored to come to Detroit to represent KTP and his co-workers.

Gin McCullough, a tech at Livonia Transmission Plant, said it was a privilege to be able to represent the company and the products she helped build at the auto show.

“I’m very happy to have that privilege for the whole week,” she said. “We were randomly selected and I’m very active with my local and my union, so it was just a privilege to be asked to come here and I didn’t want to turn it down.

“The people here are happy to see the actual auto workers who make the product and have more hands-on experience with the product.”

John Kempf, a utility operator at Kansas City Assembly Plant, was on the floor answering questions about the Ford Transit lineup.

“It feels good to be an ambassador for Ford, and I felt pretty proud of being selected,” he said. “A lot of people have been very complimentary of Ford sending an actual employee of the facility that builds these things here, so it’s pretty neat to be here with it.”

These representatives also collected feedback about Ford’s brand position in the market and its product offerings.

“It feels good to be here and I’m glad to hear the love everyone has for Ford,” said Pat Stoufer, a pre-delivery inspector at KCAP. “I’ve had people saying to me that they usually buy other brands, but this product display has people wanting to change their minds.”

Stoufer said this kind of opportunity for employees to represent the products they build makes her feel like she’s part of something bigger.

“I feel like I’m a part of Ford,” she said. “I don’t feel like I’m just an autoworker. This product is like my baby.”