Ford Restarts Production for Its Pickup Trucks Ahead of Schedule
Ford has announced production of the F-150 pickup has resumed after just over one week of downtime.
The production restart comes after a massive fire on May 2 at one of the America automaker’s parts suppliers, Meridian Magnesium Products in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. The company said it has also successfully repaired the supply chain for Super Duty trucks, with production scheduled to restart by Monday at the Kentucky Truck Plant and the Kansas City Assembly Plant, which also makes F-150 pickups.
SEE ALSO: Ford Halts Truck Production Due to Fire at Parts Supplier
Helping get production back on track, Ford teams worked with suppliers including Walbridge and other contractors. The teams managed to remove 19 dies from Meridian’s badly damaged facility, and in one case, moved an 87,000-pound die from Eaton Rapids, Michigan to Nottingham, U.K. by means of an Antonov cargo plane. That move was done in just 30 hours door-to-door to Meridian’s factory in the U.K. Until production in Eaton Rapids is back to pre-fire levels, parts produced at Nottingham will be shipped daily on a Boeing 747 jet to the U.S.
The automaker also managed to recover, repair, and validate most dies that were at the Eaton Rapids facility, and Meridian is now producing parts for the F-150 at two locations: Eaton Rapids and Nottingham, U.K.
Ford reiterated that inventories of F-Series pickups and other vehicles remain strong, and customers won’t have a problem finding the model they want.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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