Ford Reopens Windsor Plant

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Bloomberg reports that Ford is investing $165m in its Essex Engine plant in Windsor, Ontario. The plant, which has been shuttered since November, will produce an unnamed new Ford engine, and will return 300 jobs to the province. The plant refurbishment was made possible by a $16.5m investment by the Ontario provincial government, or about $55k per job created. Although Ford refuses to comment on exactly which engine will be produced at the plant, timing seems to indicate that the new EcoBoost line of turbocharged, direct-injection engines could be a prime candidate. With the first EcoBoost V6 set to debut as an option on the Lincoln MKS in 2009, and planned as an option across the Ford line aimed at lowering fleet fuel consumption, this EcoBoost is a rare investment at a time when Ford is trimming its manufacturing profile. The Canadian Auto Workers have been angling for a Ford engine project for some time, although CAW President Buzz Hargrove hinted that a fuel-efficient 5-liter engine might be in the works for Windsor. Whatever the engine, this is big news for the CAW, which lost a quarter of its D3-employed membership in the last three years alone.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 14 comments
  • Brendon from Canada Brendon from Canada on Apr 01, 2008

    A radio interview with management yesterday (Monday) here in SW Ontario, indicated that the engine would be the 5L V8 - targetted for "working" trucks, police cruisers, and hoonage afficianados (in that order).

  • Sajeev Mehta Sajeev Mehta on Apr 01, 2008

    Police cruisers? Sounds like the Panther chassis will get a swan song before its (proposed) death.

  • Anonymous Anonymous on Apr 01, 2008

    Nobody in Ford management said what engine it would be. There was a lot of speculation by people on the radio.

  • Lionspointe1 Lionspointe1 on Jul 11, 2008

    the 5.0 went to windsor on paper for now maybe just to help get a contract done with the CAW soon. also the 4.6L and 6.2L are two seperate lines at romeo there is no construction the 6.2L line is almost in but demand has been cut from 250,000 a year to 92,000 for the 6.2L which will probably only be around for one year as the tax incentives ford received required roughly the same amount of engines to be built on the new line to to get the tax breaks then all bets are off. romeo is going down to one shift in the next few weeks as 4.6L demand is down 30%. why build the 6.2 and 5.0 in two different plants doesn't make sense something will change in the future one will stand one will fall but who?

Next