Ford’s expansion is big boost to local economy | Editorial

Ford Motor Company’s announcement June 2 that it is investing $1.5 billion into Lorain County at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake to assemble an all-new commercial electric vehicles is one of the best pieces of economic news this region has had in recent memory.

Not only did Ford commit to staying in this part of Northeast Ohio, but the automaker will create a whopping 1,800 good-paying new jobs with health care benefits and higher quality of life.

And the expanded facility will continue producing Ford’s E-series van, medium-duty trucks and Super Duty chassis cabs.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and JobsOhio joined Ford representatives and local elected officials to announce the groundbreaking news that the Ohio Assembly Plant would assemble the commercial electric vehicles.

DeWine also mentioned that the ingenuity and talent of Ohio’s automotive workforce are second to none, and Ford’s investment at the Ohio Assembly Plant will play an essential role in growing the electric vehicle space.

Ford has been a partner in Ohio for generations, and its confidence in the Ohio Assembly Plant operations secures that manufacturing electric vehicles in Lorain County will be critical for decades to come.

Ford also announced an additional 90 jobs and a $100 million investment between its Lima Engine and Sharonville Transmission plants, so that will be a boost to those regions.

But, construction at the Ohio Assembly Plant is expected to begin later this year with assembly on the commercial electric vehicle to begin in the mid-decade.

What’s impressive about the announcement is that Ford, the DeWine-Husted administration, Ohio Department of Development, cities of Avon Lake and Sheffield Lake, Sheffield Village, Lorain County, state and local elected officials, and Ohio’s Congressional delegation all collaborated with JobsOhio to bring the project to the Ohio Assembly Plant.

JobsOhio, the state’s private nonprofit economic development corporation, has placed significant focus on supporting the automotive supply chain as original equipment manufacturers have placed a major focus on electric vehicle production.

And J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO, acknowledged the Ohio Assembly Plant represents the automotive heritage of Ohio and world-class labor workforce, and also shared commitment with Ford to advancing innovation as it transitions to the electric vehicle space for future production.

As manufacturing continues to evolve in Lorain County, Nauseef said JobsOhio and its partners are committed to protecting and growing Ohio’s automotive industry by positioning the state as a global electric vehicle leader.

Parts of the plant are located in Avon Lake, Sheffield Village and Sheffield Lake, and of course, leaders of those municipalities are elated.

Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy, who serves as the board’s president, remembers that Ford kept telling him to be patient when he kept asking when the promised future expansion would take place.

For Lundy, it was worth the wait.

Sheffield Village Mayor John D. Hunter acknowledged that when he received a call from Ford and the UAW about the future plans of the Ohio Assembly Plant, he was extremely excited and pleased.

A few years ago, Hunter predicted that Ford and the UAW would come to an agreement to build the electric vehicles at the Ohio Assembly Plant.

And now Hunter, and probably thousands of others, have renewed their confidence in Ford and the UAW, and with good reason.

Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka called the announcement a great day for Lorain County.

And for Zilka, the announcement from Ford finally shuts down the rumors over the years that the company was leaving the area.

Zilka also credited all of the entities working together to keep Ford here, including the automaker itself, the mayors of the municipalities, UAW and JobsOhio.

Ted Esborn, Avon Lake’s economic development director, said focusing on tax revenue misses the much larger picture, and that any investment bodes well for the future of a plant, but that this investment is special.

Pat Hastings, service director for the city of Sheffield Lake, echoed the area mayors on Ford’s announcement, adding that it’s very exciting for economic growth and stability in Lorain County, and he highlighted the partnerships that made it happen.

State Sen. Nathan Manning called Ford’s investment a testament to the world-class workforce in Lorain County and Northeast Ohio, and that he’s proud to have supported the megaproject legislation that will help Ohio win life-changing investments like this one.

It’s an understatement that Northeast Ohio is jubilant that Ford chose this region to help manufacture this commercial electric vehicle.

But continuing the region’s extensive legacy in automotive innovation also played a factor.