Ford Press Release: Bigger Ohio, Lorain Assembly Plants for Powerful 1997 Econoline
08/15/96
Ford Enlarges Ohio, Lorain Assembly Plants for Powerful 1997 Econoline LORAIN, Ohio, Aug. 13 -- Ford Motor Company invested in additional tools, machinery and equipment at two Lorain County, Ohio plants, increased their size by 81,000 square feet, and put more than one million miles of testing on the new 1997 Ford Econoline Van and Club Wagon to prepare the vehicles for production. With a new look and a new surge of power, the best-selling full-size van and wagon in the industry -- for the 17th straight year -- are now built by about 3,000 employees at Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake and Lorain Assembly Plant. Powered by the new optional 6.8-liter, single overhead cam Triton V-10 engine, 12 new Econoline vans and wagons rolled out of the Lorain plant today, driven by news media for a week of testing. The media heard presentations from Joe Sammut, Ford Econoline Vehicle Line director in Dearborn, Mich., Plant Manager Bob Anderson, and UAW Local 425 Chairman Bill Allen. Sammut pointed out to journalists that the Econoline has about 50 functional improvements for '97, led by the new Triton gas engine family and dual air bags offered in all body and weight configurations. "As we prepared for the Econoline launch, teams of hourly and salaried employees worked for more than a year with engineers to make the design and manufacturing processes come together for the highest achievable productivity and quality levels," said Anderson. "Employees have driven early-build vehicles more than one million miles to evaluate them for quality and reliability from the customer's standpoint and correct any possible problems. We're proud to say we've accomplished our goals -- while launching Econoline ahead of schedule." Anderson added: "We're also proud of the 3,000 hourly and salaried people involved in Econoline production at Lorain and Ohio Assembly, who worked hard to provide the best value possible to customers ... not only with their labor but with their ideas and daily contributions to quality and productivity." Econoline bodies are built and painted at Ohio Assembly, then transported in 55-foot-long truck trailers over 17 miles for completion at Lorain. For the '97 Econoline, 17,000 square feet of space were added at Ohio Assembly, and 64,000 square feet were added at Lorain, mainly for work bays -- bringing total floor space at Ohio Assembly to more than 3.3 million, and total floor space at Lorain to 4.1 million. Ford has sold almost six million Econolines and Club Wagons since the popular vehicles were introduced in 1961. The vehicles have earned many industry quality awards, appealing to a variety of families, large and small businesses, fleets, rental firms, government agencies, campers, boaters, delivery services, charitable organizations, care-givers for the handicapped, police and fire departments, and many more. The Lorain and Ohio Assembly Plants, their employees and the UAW locals annually contribute to many worthy causes and organizations in the area, through personal donations of money and time ... and through Ford's Lorain County Community Relations Committee.