Ford has no plans for St. Thomas plant after 2011

[mercury_1988]

By NORMAN DE BONO, LONDON FREE PRESS

Staggered in recent years by layoffs and slumping sales, the Ford St. Thomas assembly plant has been dealt what may be its final body blow.
In a recent meeting with Ford of Canada, Canadian Auto Workers union officials were told all three vehicles made at the plant will be phased out — and no replacement vehicles are planned after 2011.
"You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. If we do not have a new product they will close the plant," said Scott Smith, chairperson of CAW Local 1520 at the plant.
"There are a lot of people's livelihoods at stake here and it is hard for people to hear what the reality is."
But Ford stopped short of saying it is a plant closure — meaning the CAW will work for two years to bargain with Ford and lobby for provincial and federal government support to retool and try land a new vehicle for the plant, he added.



"The fact of the matter is we have a lot of work to do and we all have to come together to make this happen," said Smith.
While Ford announced after its 2008 agreement there was no product planned for St. Thomas, this announcement goes further in saying there is no chance for an extension, said Dennis DesRosiers, national automotive analyst.
"It is nothing new, but they have not been as firm as this appears to be," said DesRosier. "This plant has been on the bubble for a long time. It does not look good."
The plant Wednesday begins a six-week summer shutdown. It has just over 1,400 hourly employees and less than 100 salaried workers.
The CAW's meeting with Joe Hendricks, vice-president Ford of Canada was held in Windsor Monday afternoon.
The St. Thomas plant assembles the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, all large rear-wheel drive cars, and Ford is already positioning the Taurus to take over its fleet taxi and police-cruiser sales, and has a replacement planned for the Town Car. It will cease production of its slow selling Grand Marquis, said CAW national president Ken Lewenza.
Those vehicles would need a redesign and new technology investment to meet new fuel and safety standards, and Ford made it clear it is focusing on new, fuel-efficient vehicles and not big cars, said Lewenza.
"All of the cars now made in St. Thomas would need significant investment.
They are looking for alternative vehicles," said Lewenza. "They need to make a huge investment, and they will not make it on these products, that was clear," he added.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business.../10053486.html

I'm very disappointed .

[Krytin]

So lets buy all of the tooling and the plant and keep making our own cars!

I know but it;s just a little hard to acept all at once.

[mercury_1988]

This is the first Mercury Marauder was produced on May 16, 2002 in St. Thomas plant.



http://www.autointell.com/News-2002/...y-16-02-p3.htm

[Wires]

It looks like the politicians are going to force us to drive Wrong Wheel Drive death traps, no matter what we actually want.

Welcome to Amerika.

[FordNut]

It looks like the politicians are going to force us to drive Wrong Wheel Drive death traps, no matter what we actually want.

Welcome to Amerika.

That's what helped drive up imports of BMW and Mercedes the last time they tried it.

[babbage]

It really is sad. I always thought the mileage was very good for such a big car.

[Wires]

What concerns me is that no one considers the amount someone drives.

If I drive 1000 miles a year, in a car that gets 20 MPG, that's 50 gallons of gasoline a year.

Someone who drives a death-trap that gets 50 MPG but drives 2500 miles per year uses the same 50 gallons.

It's perfectly acceptable in this county to live 100 miles from where you work, but if you live 5 miles from where you work and drive a "gas guzzler" you are demonized and criticized mercilessly. Fuel consumption is gallons per mile multiplied by distance driven. No one seems to care about the second term of the equation.

It's better for the environment for folks who don't drive much to drive these cars rather than scrap them and build more cars - even if they are fuel efficient.

That's my biggest problem with environmentalist - they don't look at the big picture or consider that people have needs as well.

My opinion is that the government has no business telling us how many miles per gallon our cars must get. If enough people want a large, rear-drive car, Ford should be allowed to make it and sell it. If no one does, we don't need a government regulation to prevent it.

[Bradley G]

(Quote)Those vehicles would need a redesign and new technology investment to meet new fuel and safety standards, and Ford made it clear it is focusing on new, fuel-efficient vehicles and not big cars, said Lewenza.
"All of the cars now made in St. Thomas would need significant investment.

Since the tooling has been paid for since 1999,
you would think Ford could spend some dough to keep the Icon and gussy her up.
Ford is Not interested in making big cars huh?
Get in the 2010 Taurus or the Lincoln MKS,... "LIARS!!!"

[SC Cheesehead]

....That's my biggest problem with environmentalist - they don't look at the big picture or consider that people have needs as well.

My opinion is that the government has no business telling us how many miles per gallon our cars must get. If enough people want a large, rear-drive car, Ford should be allowed to make it and sell it. If no one does, we don't need a government regulation to prevent it.

+1

Welcome to Socialist Amerika

Change you can believe in....

[Dr Caleb]

+1

Welcome to Socialist Amerika

Change you can believe in....

Repeat after me; Ca-Na-Da. St. Thomas, Ontario is in Ca-Na-Da.

[vonirkinshtine]

But Ford is H-Q'd in Amerika.

[Wires]

But Ford is H-Q'd in Amerika.

And the aforementioned regulations are for AM-ERR-EE-KA, where these cars, made in CAN-A-DUH for AM ERR EE KA are sold by FORD, an AM-ERR-EE-CAN company.

[Dr Caleb]

In a recent meeting with Ford of Canada, Canadian Auto Workers union officials were told all three vehicles made at the plant will be phased out — and no replacement vehicles are planned after 2011.

I didn't realize Ford Canada LTD. was suddenly nationalized like GM and Chrysler. Apologies for my ignorance.

[Wires]

I didn't realize Ford Canada LTD. was suddenly nationalized like GM and Chrysler. Apologies for my ignorance.

Makes no difference if they are separate or the same.

These cars won't be continued because Ford (USA OR CANADA, doesn't matter) doesn't want to put the money into them to make them meet the FUEL STANDARDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIKA passed by the US CONGRESS.


The opposite of PRO is CON.

PROGRESS - moving forward. CONGRESS = ??????

[SC Cheesehead]

Makes no difference if they are separate or the same.

These cars won't be continued because Ford (USA OR CANADA, doesn't matter) doesn't want to put the money into them to make them meet the FUEL STANDARDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIKA passed by the US CONGRESS.


The opposite of PRO is CON.

PROGRSS - moving forwared. CONGRESS = ??????

Exactly the point I was making.

It doesn't make any difference where the cars ar produced, we've got the government mandating what kind of cars we are to drive. Rather than allow a market-driven economy to establish what cars the public wants and will or will not buy, the Imperial Government of Amerika has decided they'll make the decision for us.....