Ford’s new body shop leaves a big impression, from Kansas City Business Journal.
Ford Motor Co. gave the media a peek behind the curtain at the technological marvel that produces the newly designed F-150 pickup truck at its Kansas City Assembly Plant, which began rolling off the lines for the first time Friday.
Originally opened in 1951, the 5.56 million-square-foot plant now employs 7,189 hourly workers and 296 salaried workers. The plant produces the Transit van and now the 2015 F-150. Ford invested $1.1 billion in the plant to produce those two vehicles, which are the best-selling truck and van in America.
What Ford got for its money is impressive. The new truck is a perfect example because the truck itself is a leap forward in engineering. The company’s work allowed the truck to shed 700 pounds by utilizing military-grade aluminum, giving it better handling and making it more efficient, but building a truck like that requires new production methods.
