Ford Motor Company recently announced add-on investments across Michigan, including $160 million at its Ypsilanti Township-based Rawsonville Plant, as part of a $2 billion investment in Michigan. According to Ford, the facility has been underutilized in recent years and the additional investment will help provide a more secure future.
“Ford has a long history in Ypsilanti Township,” said Brenda Stumbo, Ypsilanti Township supervisor. “This reinvestment in the facility, and the 250 good jobs it will create, is also an investment in the future of electric vehicles, which are crucial to our environment.”
The Rawsonville Plant provides a critical role in electric vehicle manufacturing for Ford’s battery pack assembly and helps make the facility more relevant to Ford’s electric vehicle future goals. “Reducing our reliance on gas-fueled vehicles is a goal that our state, county, and township are proud to be a part of,” added Stumbo. “Thank you, Ford Motor Company for investing in our union workforce and the environment.”
“Eastern Washtenaw County has a long and rich automotive heritage,” said Paul Krutko, Ann Arbor SPARK president and CEO. “Investments like this from Ford, paired with the world-class proving grounds at the American Center for Mobility at Willow Run and our ‘living laboratory’ for mobility around the region, reinforces our reputation as a hub of innovation.”
Ford’s Rawsonville facility currently employs more than 650 people, around 600 of whom are hourly employees. The facility opened in the late 1950s and currently produces transmission oil pumps, PHEV & FHEV battery packs, air induction systems, ignition coils, carbon canisters, air/fuel spacers, and fuel pumps. Rawsonville also provides kitted transmission components to Van Dyke Transmission.
This new investment would bring additional battery pack assembly work to the Rawsonville plant, including insourcing work from Mexico, and help secure the plant’s long-term viability in the community. In total, Ford is investing $2 billion in Michigan which will result in 3,200 jobs. More info is available here.
