SOUNDBITES: MICHIGAN ASSEMBLY PLANT
SOUNDBITES: MICHIGAN ASSEMBLY PLANT
Ford Motor Company's Michigan Assembly Plant, in Wayne, Michigan, is the world's first factory to build not only fuel-efficient gas powered cars, but also three production versions of electrified vehicles, including battery electric, hybrid electric and plug in hybrid electric according to Jim Tetreault (Tay-trow), VP of Manufacturing for Ford North America.
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| Cut #1: |
"This will be the first plant that builds three different versions of electrified vehicles." :04 sec. |
| This $550 million transformation will make this plant, originally built in 1957, the world's first factory to have this type of production flexibility. | |
| Cut #2: |
"In addition to high fuel efficiency gas engine compact cars, we're going to be building the battery electric focus, which will launch about a year from now and the year following that we'll launch the gas electric hybrid version, and then we'll also build a plug-in hybrid vehicle as well. So it'll be three different electrified versions with three different powertrains all being built in the same plant." :23 sec. |
| Tetreault says the biggest advantage, is that it provides Ford the ability to respond to customer demands and the marketplace. | |
| Cut #3: |
"If any one particular vehicle goes up or down in sales, we'll be able to adjust on a daily basis, so that we can respond to the market place very quickly and give the sales and marketing team what they need to satisfy the customer." :11 sec. |
| Michigan Assembly will be home to the all-new global Ford Focus, which has started production and goes on sale early next year. Plant Manager, Rob Webber says this plant is part of Fords strategic plan allowing them to produce a number of different vehicles off the same assembly line. | |
| Cut #4: |
"As the market changes we'll be able to quickly change and meet it, is what that does, so absolutely, whether it's economy fuel economy, fuel prices, whatever the buying influence is we ought to very quickly adjust." :13 sec. |
| According to Webber, much time and effort has been invested in properly training employees at the plant so they can utilize the latest technology along the line to build the highest quality vehicles and also adapt to necessary changes required based on customer demand. | |
| Cut #5: |
"If you look at the outgoing Focus that we just balanced out here just a couple of weeks ago, that particular product has been in the top couple quality products in the company for quite some time. This work force, this plant is very familiar with building very high quality vehicles." :15 sec. |
| Webber says the employees really understand the connection between quality and sales. | |
| Cut #5: |
"There's a great deal of pride throughout Ford Motor Company. To be part of the workforce, this team that is going to be building this new product you can definitely see a lot of energy without a doubt, the pride is always there, the energy has kicked it up to that new level." :17 sec. |
| The refurbished Michigan Assembly Plant, in Wayne, Michigan is the company's new benchmark for flexible manufacturing. At 1.2 million square feet — about the size of 22 football fields, the plant becomes Ford's most flexible, high-volume and modern manufacturing facility in its global operations. |