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pixlpush

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Sadness :(

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2021/02/16/ford-weather-production-closures-flat-rock/6761733002/

Weather forces Ford to stop building popular Bronco Sport, other models

February 16, 2020

By lunchtime on Tuesday, Ford Motor Co. confirmed that the winter weather systems paralyzing much of the U.S had disrupted its plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The Dearborn automaker has shut down four plants and cut shifts at four other plants in North America as conditions remain fluid and plans change with little notice.

Kelli Felker, Ford global manufacturing and labor communications manager, confirmed the following:

Down because of weather-related concerns:
  • Flat Rock, which builds Mustang
  • Kansas City Assembly Plant, which builds the Ford F-150 and Transit Vans
  • Ohio Assembly Plant outside Cleveland, which makes the Ford F-650 and F-750 trucks in addition to the F-350/450/550 Super Duty Chassis Cab, E-Series Cutaway and Stripped Chassis.
  • Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico, which builds the Bronco Sport
Planning to run second shift:
  • Chicago Assembly Plant, which builds Explorer, Police Interceptor, Lincoln Aviator
  • Dearborn Truck Plant, which builds the F-150 pickup
  • Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario. Canada, which builds the Edge, Lincoln Nautilus
Running without disruption:
  • Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky, which builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair
  • Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, which builds the Ranger
  • Cuautitlan Assembly Plant in Mexico, which builds the Mustang Mach-E
  • Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, running some operations with plans to run a second shift that builds Super Duty, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator

'What's right'
At Kansas City Assembly, Ford responded to a public plea from natural gas companies urging consumers to cut back use of heat. Bitter cold has sent gas demand and prices soaring, while companies manage supply challenges.

Spire Missouri, the St. Louis-based natural gas utility, on Tuesday praised Ford.

Scott Carter, president of Spire Missouri, said in a statement to the Free Press:

"Spire employees across five states are working hard to make sure homes and businesses stay safe and warm during these extreme weather conditions.​
We’re constantly monitoring the changing conditions and, while our systems remain strong, we’re proactively working with large natural gas users like Ford to plan for emergencies when there’s not enough supply to meet the energy needs of the larger community.​
The leaders at Ford raised their hand early to offer curtailed usage, in the spirit of doing what’s right for the community.​
Ford and Spire share a commitment to take good care of people and communities, especially during a polar vortex."​
The latest industry challenges are not unique to Ford but are especially painful during new vehicle launches, and shutting down the factory that makes Bronco Sport will sting.

"This was the year of big launches and a Ford turnaround. These production disruptions are hitting the new Ford models they had such high hopes for," said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader.com "There are exceptionally low supplies of the hot-selling Bronco Sport. They have a 34-day supply, whereas the industry average is 67 days."

The coronavirus pandemic created tight inventories "though Ford had done better than most in getting production back up to speed," Krebs said. Then the superconductor chip shortage shuttered plants and finally record-setting cold and snowfall.

"It's been one thing after another," Krebs said. "And now it's all hit Ford as well, like the other companies."

Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862 in Louisville, said it takes a lot to discourage factory workers. "Through all the adversity and challenges, our membership continues to go to work and build the best products possible."

Meanwhile, snow was pretty brutal Tuesday even by Canadian standards.

Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, the labor union that negotiates contracts with Ford in Canada, said 400 workers called into the Oakville plant at the last minute.

"They left to go to work and couldn't get anywhere," he told the Free Press. "They couldn’t get to work. All the schools shut down, too."

Dias, who lives in the Toronto area, said, "A drive that would normally take me a half hour took an hour and a half. This was the worst snowstorm we've had in a long time. People can't get out of their driveways. Snowplows have been out since 4 a.m. and it doesn't look like they've scratched the surface."
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Excape

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Back in the late '80's, I worked for a Ford Q1 supplier in Tennessee. I was told that the place never closed for weather as most of the auto manufacturing was in the north, and that they never closed for weather, so neither shall we.

There were some crippling blizzards back then too.
 


Evanm14

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“Weather-related” can also mean disruption of the flow of parts to the plant. Key parts come from suppliers located in the US.
Ford needs to cut the BS and build this in the US (and Mustang ME). They share the iconic name plates.
 

RonSwanson

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Maybe the cold temps in places that don't normally have them (i.e. Texas) is causing things like switch points on train tracks to freeze and it's disrupting rail traffic? That was the best I could come up with that seemed reasonably realistic and was "weather related".
 

BroncoFan1

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Well, I was hoping to get a Bronco Sport...maybe I should move on to something else. There’s been delays on and off since the release. I understand some things can’t be controlled but it’s been hard waiting. :crying:

I’m not trying to attack the Bronco Sport, hopefully this didn’t come off as attacking it.
 

PnutLuv

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Doesn’t happen often but here in Midwest we’ve had cold/ice/snow damage power lines.
obviously the plant itself is not in the middle of a snow/cold front but if transport of parts being affected It could make sense. If it’s really weather related I can’t see it being a long shutdown.
 


Osco

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I'd bet a factor would be the factory itself... No heat, its normaly hot in Mexico right.
The workers may not even own a good winter coat.
Maybe $2.00 per hour is not enough motivation to work in the cold...
 

Washburn

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If delay upon delay builds up, this could be a long wait for some and will be closer to the date when 2022 models are announced.
IF not in a hurry, I'd say wait for the 2022 model year which I am going to do. 2010 gen 2 Escape can hold me over until then. By that time hopefully the production will be in normal gear AND I will get whatever (if any - and there usually are some) improvements they make on the 2022 models.
 

McBrideless

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As a New Englander, hearing about losing power because its "too cold" is very confusing...
I’m sure Flordians are just as confused when people from New England talk about shutting down for too much rain.
 

magicbus

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Turns out Mexico is suffering a huge power shortfall due to Texas curtailing natural gas by 75% affecting many manufacturing facilities that assemble products bound for the US.
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