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