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Ford Plant Expands Production

24 August 1998

Ford Plant Expands Production; Adds 100 Jobs

    SHARONVILLE, Ohio, Aug. 24 -- The Ford Sharonville
Transmission Plant will expand production on its innovative "flex" line to
include the 4R70W rear-wheel drive 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission.
A second shift, resulting in approximately 100 new jobs, will be added during
September.
    "We're doing all we can to keep up with the steady growth in customer
demand for vehicles that use Ford's rear-wheel drive transmissions," said
Plant Manager Frazier Anderson.  "The 'flex' line allows us the agility to
respond to changes in the marketplace and to still maintain the high level of
quality our customers have come to expect from us."
    In 1995, Ford invested $180 million in a flexible line at the plant to
build a new transmission for the upcoming Lincoln LS series.  In the meantime,
the plant was able to use the equipment on the "flex" line to produce the
4R70W transmissions, augmenting the supply being built concurrently at another
Ford transmission plant and enabling the company to meet increased customer
demands for its cars and trucks.  The Sharonville plant produced 174,000
4R7OWs on its "flex" line during a nine month period in 1997.
    Demand for the 4R70W today is such that the Sharonville plant's "flex"
line will once again build the transmission.  The 4R70W 4-speed transmission
is available in the Ford Mustang, Crown Victoria, Explorer, F-Series and
Expedition, the Lincoln Town Car, and the Mercury Grand Marquis and
Mountaineer.
    "This additional capacity will ensure that the supply pipeline for our
product continues to operate smoothly and that future customer demands can be
met easily and without delay," Anderson said.
    "Any time the production is expanded like this, the employees see it as a
vote of confidence," said Larry Miller, Chairman, UAW Local 863, Sharonville
Transmission Plant.  "By awarding us the additional work and adding jobs, the
company is demonstrating its confidence in our ability to get the job done
right.  It also means that our customers are pleased with our product, which
is gratifying to know."
    In addition to the 4R70W, the Sharonville plant also produces the 4R100
rear-wheel drive 4-speed automatic transmission, which is available in the
Ford F-Series, Econoline, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.
    The Sharonville plant ranks third overall among transmission plants in
North America in terms of labor productivity (hours per transmission)
according to the recently published Harbour Report.  It opened in 1958, covers
2,300,000 square feet, and employs approximately 1,700 hourly and 287 salaried
employees.