Managing Gas Prices

JOINING US TODAY. DOCTOR SKLAR, YOU'RE WELCOME. >> AS GAS PRICES FLUCTUATE, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS FEELING THE BRUNT. >> OF THE COSTS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. TRIPLE A SAYS THE FLORIDA AVERAGE FOR REGULAR UNLEADED GAS IS $4.31 PER GALLON. BUT LEE COUNTY AND COLLIER COUNTY DRIVERS FACE SOME OF THE HIGHER PRICES OVER 4 AND A HALF DOLLARS PER GALLON. THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IS BEING FELT BY MANY SMALL BUSINESSES DEPENDING ON FLEET VEHICLES AND GROUPS LIKE THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY ARE OFFERING SOLUTIONS TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE COST BURDEN. SMALL BUSINESSES ARE FACING. >> JOINING ME NOW IS MATT ATKINSON. HE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SALES AND OPERATIONS OF FORD PRO. >> FOR NORTH AMERICA AT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND JOINS US NOW FROM MICHIGAN. MISTER ATKINSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> WELL, THANK YOU. RAMEL. >> CAN YOU TELL US HOW ARE THE HIGH GAS PRICES IMPACTING SMALL BUSINESSES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT KINDS OF BUSINESSES ARE MOST AFFECTED. >> YEAH, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. AND AND YOU KNOW IT AT FORD. MORE SMALL BUSINESSES TRUST OUR TRUCKS AND VANS THAN ANY OTHER BUSINESS. THAT AND BRAND THAT IS OUT THERE. AND SO KEEPING A PULSE OF WHAT IS IMPACTING AND INFLUENCING SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS TO US. YOU KNOW, IT IS NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS FOR US THAT THAT'S REALLY EVERY MONTH. YOU KNOW, WE FELT LIKE IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY BY THESE VARIOUS HEADWINDS. AND SO IT EARLIER THIS MONTH WE ANNOUNCED A SPECIAL PROMOTION THAT WHAT WE'RE CALLING EMPLOYEE PRICING FROM OUR BUSINESS TO YOURS. AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE THESE SMALL BUSINESSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SAME PRICING THAT I WOULD PAY AS AN EMPLOYEE. WE HOPE IS A WAY TO TO GIVE SOME CONSISTENCY AND EVEN SOME PEACE OF MIND. A SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS THEY NAVIGATE WHATEVER HEADWINDS THEY MAY BE FACING. >> WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ON HOW BUSINESS OWNERS CAN MITIGATE THESE RISING FUEL PRICES AND HELP CONTROL THEIR EXPENSES. >> SURE. WELL, FIRST OFF, WE HEAR YOU. YOU KNOW, WE WE KNOW THE THESE MACROECONOMIC THINGS FROM FROM THINGS THAT ARE MORE LOCAL TO THINGS THAT ARE ABROAD. THEY TEND TO HIT SMALL BUSINESS FIRST AND AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE THERE FOR THESE TYPES OF CUSTOMERS, FOR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE WOULD ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES OF ALL KIND IS, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING WITHIN OUR VEHICLES, CAN IT REALLY HELP TO UNLOCK SOME EFFICIENCIES THAT WE JUST WE DIDN'T HAVE EVEN JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. >> ARE YOU SEEING MORE BUSINESSES UTILIZING EVS? >> EV IS IS IT WORKS FOR SOME BUSINESSES FOR SURE, BUT OTHERS THAT IT'S NOT THE RIGHT FIT AT PRO. YOU WANT TO ONE OF THE THINGS OUR DEALERS AND OUR AND MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS KNOW IS THAT WE OFFER THE POWER OF CHOICE. SO EVS FOR CERTAIN CUSTOMERS ARE ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT FIT. AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE LINEUP THAT WE HAVE AND THE ONES THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN WITH OUR NEW PLANT IN LOUISVILLE, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO. WE'RE GOING TO COME OUT WITH A NEW VEHICLE AND JUST ABOUT A YEAR. BUT BETWEEN GAS ENGINES, HYBRID, PLUG IN OR DIESEL. YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR BUSINESS THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN MEET ON NO MATTER WHAT THEIR VOCATION IS OR WHERE THEY'RE DOING THEIR THEIR WORK. AND THAT'S THAT'S THE STRENGTH THAT WE THINK THE 4 PROGRAM HAS AND IS WHY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TO BUILD THAT TRUST WITH THE CUSTOMER OVER TIME. >> NOW, DO YOU FORESEE AN END TO THESE RISING FUEL PRICES? AND IF SO, WHEN? >> SO, LOOK, I DON'T KNOW IF MY CRYSTAL BALL IS ANY BETTER THAN THAN ANYONE'S, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR OUR OUR FORECAST FOR THE INDUSTRY, IT'S STILL REALLY STRONG FOR THE YEAR. AND AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD BE DOUBLING DOWN ON PROGRAMS LIKE WE ANNOUNCED THIS MONTH WITH EMPLOYEE PRICING WHERE OUR BUSINESS WE'RE WE'RE WE CAN OFFER THE SAME BENEFITS THAT OUR BUSINESS GETS TO THE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE OUT THERE SO THAT IT'S ONE LESS THING FOR THEM TO TO WORRY ABOUT. AND WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE AMERICAN WORKER AND SMALL BUSINESS. WE ARE THE MOST AMERICAN COMPANY. WE HIRE THE MOST HOURLY AUTO WORKERS AND UNITED STATES AND WE BUILD THE MOST VEHICLES AND UNITED STATES OR OUR FUTURE IS HERE. OUR INVESTMENTS ARE HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AND THEY CAN TRUST IN THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY FOR THEIR VEHICLES LARGE AND SMALL. >> WHERE CAN WE GO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS? >> I WOULD ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO VISIT US OUR WEB SITE AT 4 DOT COM. BUT THEN, OF COURSE, OUR OUR DEALER NETWORK ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY HE'S EXCITED TO TO TO HELP FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN HELP SOLVE THEIR AND THEIR NEEDS. AND I'M I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE CUSTOMERS ARE LIKELY TO SEE IF THEY STOP IN A FOR CHILDREN TODAY. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. ATKINSON, THANKS FOR YOUR INSIGHT TODAY. >> APPRECIATE HAVING. >> HERE'S SOME MORE INFORMATION ON GAS PRICES FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM A 2026 SURVEY BY GASBUDDY FOUND THAT GAS IS THE CHEAPEST IN MOST STATES ON SUNDAYS. WELL, FILLING UP IN BETWEEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY IS OFTEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH OUR ECONOMIC COVERAGE. WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING YOU MONEY, SIMPLY LOG