The Ford plant in Oakville, Ont., has been the heart and soul of the Blue Oval in Canada since it opened in 1953. And now it’s becoming one of the most integral Ford plants in the world.
Ford announced today that it’s investing $700 million CDN into the plant, a move that secures 2,800 jobs. As well, it was confirmed that the Blue Oval will bring several new global vehicle models to the plant – this will help meet growing North American and worldwide demands.
“(This positions) Oakville as one of the most competitive and important facilities in the Ford system,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas, during the announcement at the plant today. (Hinrichs is pictured in the above image).
Ford is focused on global manufacturing, which involves using many of the same platforms worldwide to build most of its vehicles. This makes it easier to accelerate the production of vehicles according to consumer needs.
Canada is fitting in well with this strategy, says Dianne Craig, president and CEO of Ford of Canada. “Ford’s investment demonstrates Canada can be competitive in the global market through strategic partnerships,” she said. “Working closely with government and labour, we have secured a bright future for our employees at Oakville Assembly.”
Currently, Oakville Assembly manufactures the Edge, Flex, Lincoln MKX and Lincoln MKT. Work on the transformation to the plant is already underway and is expected to be complete by late 2014.