BlueOval City reps update Jackson on the project and what to watch for in coming months

There are 3,600 acres in Stanton, Tennessee, that are being transformed into one of the largest manufacturing plants of Ford Motor Company in its 119-year history. In an effort to meet community members and share the company’s vision about BlueOval City, the Jackson Fairgrounds served as the host site for a panel discussion by the company’s leaders.

In September 2021, the company and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the BlueOval City project, the single-largest investment into the state by a company. The site at BlueOval City will manufacture next-generation, electric Ford’s F-series trucks and batteries. Ford’s sister company, SK Innovation, will handle the manufacture of the electric batteries for the site. With the project targeted for construction completion in 2025, the more than 6-square-mile site will offer nearly 6,000 jobs. 

Ford and SK broke ground in Stanton on Sept. 23, nearly one year after the $5.6 billion investment announcement. During the panel discussion held in Jackson on Oct. 20, BlueOval City Electric Vehicle Center Plant Manager Kel Kearns announced site prep included moving more than 4.6 million cubic yards of dirt, enough to fill approximately 34,500 backyard swimming pools; 370,000 tons of stone were laid, the weight of more than 1,600 Statues of Liberty and more than 4,600 deep foundations were installed, totaling the height of approximately 176 Eiffel Towers put end to end. Kearns noted this was the largest site of the company’s transformation to electrification. He announced one of the company’s goals of its $50-billion global investment is to put two million electric vehicles on the road by 2026. 

In determining the location of BlueOval City, the Ford Co. looked at physical location in respect to the transportation infrastructure in relation to other plants, the workplace environment, educational training resources and tax incentives, before selecting West Tennessee.

Following the company’s investment announcement in Tennessee, Gov. Lee reported a Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus will also be located on the grounds. The TCAT will offer customized training for future employees of the manufacturing and battery plants.

Ford Motor Company Manufacturing Learning and Development Manager Andy Bianco told panel discussion attendees, the workforce development team has already met with 30 colleges and TCATs in the state to recruit team members. Bianco said the plants will utilize LEAN manufacturing and are looking to recruit people with a variety of skill sets, from engineering to project management to construction workers and engineers. 

Vanessa Presson is a WestStar graduate who now serves as HR Manager for the Electric Vehicle Center at Blue Oval City, addressed the crowd and spoke about challenges for potential employees. She said the company is working to fill gaps for candidates who may struggle with transportation and child care. Presson said they have identified the barriers and are working with local governments to develop solutions for Ford’s future workforce.

In addition to the site in Stanton, Ford and SK Innovation announced a $5.8 billion investment into two battery manufacturing facilities in Glendale, Ky.

Since investing in sustainability is the highest priority for Ford, according to Kearns, the company is working to restore 20,000 feet of streams near Lone Oak Farms as part of a wetlands-impact project. In addition, the plant will have zero waste to landfills.

Through the company’s philanthropic organization, the Ford Fund, it is making a $1 million investment for capital grants available to non-profits and municipalities for infrastructure improvements. Ford announced the grant investment Nov. 1. Madison County nonprofits and governments are eligible to apply for infrastructure grants. Other eligible counties include Tipton, Shelby, Fayette, Lauderdale and Haywood. Awarded grants will range between $25,000 to $100,000. Applications will be accepted now through Friday, Feb. 2, 2023, online at https://fordfund.org/TNcapitalgrants. Grant awards will be announced in early April.

To close out the panel discussion in Jackson, Ford and SK representatives encouraged potential applicants to visit corporate.ford.com/careers to view available job openings and sign up for email alerts for listings in specific areas. Representatives said Ford plans to have a local and diverse workforce of people interested in manufacturing, construction and customers throughout all stages of BlueOval City’s progress.