Ford provides snapshot of training and construction update of BlueOval City

Plant hiring hourly employees in 2025 for production roll-out in 2026

Staff reports

Ford’s BlueOval City campus in Stanton, Tenn., is taking shape as robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths and stamping press lines are installed at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant. 

As the work in the plant progresses, Ford is prioritizing education, environmental protection and local engagement to help ensure West Tennessee residents benefit from the growth BlueOval City will bring.

“We have been humbled by the warm hospitality extended to us by our new neighbors in West Tennessee,” said Kel Kearns, plant manager, Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City. 

“As the company that helped create the American middle class, we want residents in every community around the region to benefit as BlueOval City comes to life.”

Ford plans to develop local talent for jobs at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center through its BlueOval Learning initiative. Training will be comprehensive, with online, classroom and hands-on segments designed to prepare employees to operate, maintain and troubleshoot equipment in their areas.

This photo, captured April 30, 2024, shows robotic training cells that will help train employees for work at Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City.

The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center will use the latest Ford manufacturing equipment, so employees will train on machine vision systems for robot guidance and quality assurance, automated pick-and-place material handling, sealer and adhesive dispensing systems and various automated mechanical joining technologies, among several other manufacturing processes. 

This computer-generated image shows the body decker that will be installed at Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City.

The company will begin hiring hourly employees in 2025 to ensure employees are on board and trained to support customer deliveries of the next-gen electric truck beginning in 2026.

Prospective employees can meet with Ford representatives at the new Ford Tennessee Discovery Center in Brownsville, Tenn., once it opens later this year. Community members also will be welcome to experience advanced manufacturing through virtual-reality simulations at the Discovery Center.

Background:

BlueOval City (BOC) is the single-largest investment by a company in Tennessee at $5.6 billion. The West Tennessee Megasite in Haywood County will house the BOC campus, which will include Ford Motor Company’s electric-truck assembly plant, SK On’s electric-battery production and recycling facility, a Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus, a Lowe’s store and several direct suppliers for Ford and SK On.

Ford and its battery plant, SK On, is expected to generate approximately 6,000 jobs in West Tennessee. BOC spans six square miles and is expected to be among the largest auto manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

This photo of Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant at BlueOval City, captured May 10, 2024, shows the body shop section of the building. Courtesy Walbridge.