These competitive forces within the industry create a highly competitive environment, requiring all participating companies to continually innovate and develop new products. For a company to succeed within the industry, it is necessary to have a strong position among its other competitors. When comparing Ford's position to its competitors, the company has a strong position in the industry, ranking in the top three, but it falls far short of its main rival, GM. Since Ford did not agree to the government buyout, the company's main setback was the debt it incurred following the 2008 recession. From 2008 to 2010, the company's financial health declined. suffered, which made it difficult to compete with GM. Over the past five years, the company's gross profit margin has increased, which means a stability of the company's environment as well as the recovery of the company's financial situation.