The Birth of Proof Pathway

By Jerry Ford, Owner – Sketch 2 Skid Services Inc.

My name is Jerry Ford, and I’ve spent more than fifty years in manufacturing. My career began in 1973, shortly after my honorable discharge from the U.S. Army and my service in Viet Nam. I was fortunate to be hired by American Sunroof in Southgate, Michigan as a line worker. My job was simple: weld studs onto the metal bands that held vinyl half‑tops in place.

I treated that job like a challenge — how many could I get done in a day? Management noticed. I was promoted to Material Control, then to Purchasing. During my time there, American Sunroof grew from a $7 million company to $250 million. It was a front‑row seat to what it takes to scale a business, and it shaped the way I’ve approached every role since.

Over the decades that followed, I worked with Tier One automotive suppliers and major consumer‑goods manufacturers in both purchasing and sales. I saw the best and worst of production environments. And across all those years, two things consistently separated the successful companies from the struggling ones:

Traceability and accountability.

When I look at today’s food industry, manufacturing floors, and insurance investigations, I see the same inefficiencies I’ve watched drain profitability for decades. In a competitive landscape, those inefficiencies are no longer tolerable. They cost time, money, and credibility.

That’s why Proof Pathway was born.

I built Proof Pathway so every business — large or small — can compete, grow, and prosper. The platform reduces manual labor, eliminates scrap, strengthens compliance, and delivers the traceability today’s industries demand. It doesn’t just save money. It creates it.

If you’re ready to see how digital certainty can transform your operation, I’d welcome the opportunity to show you. Proof Pathway doesn’t cost — it pays!

Best regards,

Jerry Ford

Owner, Sketch 2 Skid Services Inc.

Proof Pathway Division

678‑314‑2946

jerry@proofpathway.com