Peter E. Martin

Who was Peter E. Martin?

Peter Edmund Martin was a leading early production executive of the Ford Motor Company.

Ed Martin was hired by close Henry Ford associate C. Harold Wills on December 15, 1903, and at that time was the company's fifth employee.

He was placed in charge of the Assembly Department at the Piquette Plant in January 1906. On October 17, 1906, when Walter E. Flanders was manager of Manufacturing, Ed Martin was promoted to assistant to Thomas S. Walburn in active charge of all manufacturing departments. In January, 1907 he became superintendent under Walburn.

On April 21, 1908 Walter Flanders resigned. Henry Ford called Martin and Charles E. Sorensen into his office and told Martin and Sorensen to go out and run the plant. By 1913, Martin had been officially appointed superintendent of production and Sorensen as his assistant. This began a close association between Martin and Sorensen that lasted over 30 years; Sorensen was also Martin's second in command at the Highland Park Plant and nominally, later at the Rouge Plant although Martin had less influence over Sorenson's actions there.

Edsel Ford became President of the Ford Motor Company in January, 1919.