Ford puts Lorain Assembly Plant on list of four facing shutdown

AVON LAKE, Ohio (AP) -- A five-minute meeting was all it took for Ford Motor Co. and United Auto Workers officials to tell workers at the Ohio Assembly Plant that Ford's nearby Lorain Assembly Plant is expected to close within the next four years.
On Tuesday, Ford listed the Lorain plant as one of four slated for closure or sale. The others are an assembly plant in Edison, N.J., the Vulcan Forge Plant in Detroit and a casting plant in Cleveland.
"It's bad news for Lorain," said David Anderson, a 31-year employee working in the paint shop at the Avon Lake plant. "They just reaffirmed what the rumors were. They said the company was losing money, and it was a cost-efficient move to bring the chassis and trim lines over here so the Econoline will be built in one place."
There was no talk about job losses, Anderson added.
Ford makes Econoline bodies at Avon Lake and ships them to Lorain for final assembly. Avon Lake also makes the Escape, a small sport utility vehicle.
"Now, we can hopefully sit down with the state and Ford and see if there's anything we can do to keep them in Lorain," said Lorain Mayor Craig Foltin. "At least we have some time to solicit Ford for a new product, or maybe give them reason to change their mind."
If the plant is shuttered, it would mean an annual loss of $2.2 million for Lorain, about 12 percent of the city's tax revenue, according to records released by City Auditor Ron Mantini.