| Oakland County town is now preparing a life | | | | packages. "Yes, it's kind of bittersweet |
| without Ford Motor Co. Wixom plant, the | | | | moment, but the real good news is that |
| facility that gave the territory life | | | | everyone I know will land on their feet," |
| half-century ago. Now, the town that seems to | | | | said Alonzo Smith, 41, who will transfer to a |
| expire without Ford around has to try living | | | | Dearborn Ford facility. |
| on its own. | | | | |
| | | | Working at Ford Wixom is a family affair for |
| Built in 1957 when the Detroit automaker | | | | Smith, something that is not rare among Ford |
| established Lincoln luxury cars in Wixom as a | | | | hourly workers. His father, James Smith, |
| stand-alone division, this city in western | | | | moved from Alabama to Michigan for a prized |
| Oakland County became home to Lincoln | | | | factory job and spent 34 years at Ford Wixom. |
| headquarters and a huge assembly plant. Over | | | | Alonzo Smith started at Ford Wixom after he |
| time, workers at Wixom Assembly built one | | | | got out of the Marine Corps in 1988. He met |
| classic American car after another, including | | | | his wife, Stefanie Harris, at the Wixom |
| the Ford Thunderbird and Lincolns that | | | | plant, and has a brother there, too. |
| covered milestone vehicles like the | | | | |
| Continental, the Mark III-V and the Town Car. | | | | Still, he wants more for others in the |
| | | | family. "We want our children to continue |
| But the production was not enough. Lincolns | | | | their education. It's a great career, but to |
| experienced sales doldrums. And that forced | | | | expect that to keep continuing for generation |
| the plant to cease production at the end of | | | | after generation is not something I want." |
| this month. This fact was intimated by Ford | | | | |
| officials Wednesday, making Wixom one of nine | | | | Wixom without Ford |
| plants that the automaker plans to close by | | | | |
| 2008. | | | | The city of Wixom is now concentrating on a |
| | | | future without Ford. For more than a decade, |
| What will happen to the plant remains | | | | the city has worked to attract small |
| undecided, a Ford spokeswoman said. But the | | | | industrial companies, including at least six |
| city's Ford workers, politicians and | | | | that have set up headquarters here. They |
| businesses remain optimistic about the | | | | include National Liquid Blasting Corp., which |
| matter. "We knew this plant closing was | | | | employs about 300 workers. General Motors |
| coming and we've been preparing for quite | | | | Corp. powertrain and design services units |
| some time," Wixom Mayor Michael McDonald | | | | also are in Wixom, having 300 employees. |
| said. "A long time ago, we decided we need to | | | | |
| diversify the economy." McDonald said Ford | | | | "We've been open to small entrepreneurs who |
| taught the city to always be innovative, and | | | | need just about 2,000 square feet to small |
| never to depend on just Ford. | | | | industrial companies that need 10,000 square |
| | | | feet," McDonald said. "I can't think of one, |
| It's a lesson the city has learned well. | | | | really, that relies solely or much on the |
| Fifteen years ago, the Ford plant made up | | | | Ford Wixom plant for its business. Yet, there |
| half of Wixom's tax revenue. Now, it's only | | | | will be some pain. "Of course, we are going |
| eleven percent, about $1 million, of the | | | | to take a hit," McDonald said. "I worry about |
| city's revenue, said City Manager J. Michael | | | | a lot of the restaurants and the dry cleaners |
| Dornan. The situation accelerates like a | | | | who relied on those Ford workers for their |
| bullet, the kind that EBC Redstuff could not | | | | business." |
| contain. | | | | |
| | | | If things go as planned, Wixom city officials |
| End of half a decade life | | | | estimate the direct tax hit from the loss of |
| | | | Ford Wixom will be $500,000 to $600,000 in |
| From the beginning, the plant just off I-96 | | | | the next five years. Several developers said |
| was routinely hailed for its cutting-edge | | | | Wixom can adapt quickly. "I know a lot of |
| technology, its quality and productivity. A | | | | communities in Michigan who wish they could |
| decade ago, Wixom was expanded, becoming | | | | perform as good as Wixom right now," said Rob |
| Ford's largest car assembly plant in North | | | | Hughes, a vice president at Colliers |
| America at 4.7 million square feet. | | | | International, a real estate firm. "I worry |
| | | | about the Quizno's, the Dunkin' Donuts and |
| At its peak in 1988, the plant produced | | | | the Wendy's there," Hughes said. "But they |
| 280,659 vehicles a year. According to | | | | are in a great location, right there in the |
| Autodata Corp., this year, it will make less | | | | middle of western Oakland County growth and |
| than 40,000. Ford sold a meager 3,712 Lincoln | | | | they continue to attract high-tech |
| Town cars in April, a slide of 1,115 from the | | | | facilities. |
| same period in 2006. | | | | |
| | | | He added, "I've seen a number of former auto |
| "This plant will idle May 31, but its legacy | | | | plants in the region, in far less desirable |
| will never die," Mario DiLisio, chairman of | | | | locations, that have been redeveloped, so I |
| the United Auto Workers Local 36, said during | | | | think a lot of people believe that plant will |
| a tour of the plant Wednesday. Wixom hourly | | | | not be empty forever. |
| workers praised Ford's generous buyout | | | | |