Ford to Start Retool, Upgrade Projects at Ontario Auto Plants

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--With the blessings of the labor union Unifor, Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited (Oakville, Ontario) is moving ahead with plans to start construction this year on automotive plant projects in Ontario totaling $700 million in value.

At the Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Ford is moving forward with plans to retool the 5 million-square-foot facility to produce the Ford Edge Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and new Edge ST SUV. The $100 million project is expected to start construction in March, with auto production beginning in 2019. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

In May, construction of a $600 million assembly line upgrade project is expected to begin at Ford's Windsor Engine Plant (WEP) in Ontario. The upgrades will allow the plant to produce next-generation 7.0-litre, V8 engines for large Ford pickup trucks, such as the F-250. Production is expected to begin in 2020. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The investments were part of a contract deal that was negotiated between Unifor and Ford in 2016, according to The Canadian Press. Unifor was founded in 2013 with a merger of the Canadian Autoworkers, Communications, Energy & Paperworkers unions.

Unifor has called the $700 million investment "a giant boost for the provincial and national economy."

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) (Dearborn, Michigan) is the parent company of Ford Motor Company of Canada.

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