Ford, Political Officials Unveil Newly Revamped Plant in Louisville

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Today is a Louisville day for me; Georgetown can’t have all the fun, after all. Oh wait: They build Toyotas not named FR-S. Never mind.

Yesterday afternoon, my commonwealth’s governor Steve Beshear (D-KY) and Lieutenant Governor Jerry “Mayor For Life” Abramson (so nicknamed as he was my city’s mayor for three consecutive terms pre-merger of county and city governments, and two more terms as the first mayor of post-merger Louisville Metro) unveiled the reopened and revamped Ford Louisville Assembly Plant, the home of the Ford Focus-esque crossover known as the 2013 Escape.

Having recovered from the hail storm 3,500 Escapes could not… escape almost a month ago, the 99-year-old plant will utilize around 4,500 workers on three shifts while employing 20 miles of conveyors and 1,000 assembly machines. The plant’s newfound skills and flexibility will allow those workers to build six different types of vehicles at the same time, all thanks to a $600 million USD investment made by Ford in 2010 that also brought in 1,800 workers and a second shift that year; a new contract with the UAW in 2011 added 1,300 more bodies and a third shift. Ford also plans to invest $600 million to Louisville’s Kentucky Truck Plant, home to the F-Series Super Duty and 4,000 employees.

To quote Louisville’s own long-serving congressman, Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY), “I was proud to support federal investments that helped Ford retool the Louisville Assembly Plant, and I am thrilled to see the results today. In less than three years, we went from being behind the curve to beating the curve, and we’re using American labor and ingenuity to do it. The Louisville workforce, Ford and government partners have shown just how successful we can be, working together to build the vehicles of the future and the innovations that keep our city and our country on the leading edge of manufacturing.”

Photo credit: Ford

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • 86SN2001 86SN2001 on Jun 14, 2012

    Not only is the design of this jacked up Focus horribly inconsistent, it's offensive. There hasn't been a worse looking vehicle since the MKT...or Aztec. Ford's designers are completely incompetent and need to be fired. Every last one.

    • See 2 previous
    • Geeber Geeber on Jun 15, 2012

      @NulloModo One of our local dealers has two...they both look very sharp. I have to wonder, though, if customers who liked the old-school, square-rigged Escape will go for the new, high-style model.

  • AoLetsGo AoLetsGo on Jun 14, 2012

    Politics aside it is nice to read a good news story now and then.

  • FreedMike Off topic, but folks, this site is not working well for me from a technical standpoint, and it doesn't matter if I'm using my phone, or my computer (on two different browsers). It locks up and makes it impossible to type anything in after a certain point. Anyone else having these issues?
  • Syke Kinda liked the '57, hated the '58. Then again, I hated the entire '58 GM line except for the Chevrolet. Which I liked better than the '57's. Still remember dad's '58 Impala hardtop, in the silver blue that was used as the main advertising color.
  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
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