| Ford Motor Co. announced that it has entered into | | | | said, "We're on the right track." In connection with |
| agreements with two companies to sell Michigan and | | | | the plant's sale to Flex-N-Gate, Steve Stamper, |
| Mexico auto parts plants. The companies are | | | | president of UAW Local 600 at the Michigan fuel tank |
| Flex-N-Gate Corp. and Cooper-Standard Automotive | | | | plant said, "It's better than being closed." The plants |
| Inc. The former is a privately held manufacturing | | | | were previously part of Visteon, the automaker's |
| company based in Urbana, Illinois. It has agreed to | | | | parts wing that eventually become a separate |
| purchase the operation in Milan, about 35 miles | | | | company in 2000. In 2005, the automaker bought |
| southwest of Detroit. The plant is utilized by the | | | | back some plants and created Automotive |
| automaker in the production of automotive grills and | | | | Components Holdings LLC. It is now responsible for |
| bumpers. According to the automaker, the auto parts | | | | producing automotive and architectural glass, chassis, |
| plant includes salaried employees leased from Visteon | | | | auto interior, powertrain components, and Ford |
| Corp. and United Auto Workers union hourly | | | | climate control. Said holding company operates 10 |
| employees leased from Ford. Meanwhile, | | | | plants in the United States and 3 in Mexico. Aside |
| Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc., headquartered in | | | | from selling parts plants, Ford is also absorbed in |
| Novi, agreed to purchase the Jarudo automotive fuel | | | | global restructuring. Mark Fields, president of Ford |
| rail factory of the automaker in Mexico. Said factory | | | | Motor Co.'s Americas division, said that global |
| has about 500 workers. Cooper-Standard is a world | | | | restructuring of the automaker's management team |
| leader automotive supplier that specializes in the | | | | will help give him the resources he needs to turn |
| manufacture and marketing of systems and | | | | around the company's struggling North American |
| components for the auto industry. Ford had agreed | | | | business. Fields added that the reorganization will allow |
| to sell its climate-control business to a French | | | | Ford to better leverage its global product |
| automotive supply company named Valeo SA. The | | | | development resources. However, he said that it will |
| automotive operation is based at a plant in Plymouth | | | | take years for the effort to bear its full fruits. "It |
| Township. Al Ver, Automotive Components Holdings | | | | accelerates getting our products to market as we |
| chief executive officer and chief operating officer | | | | share architecture and components," Fields said. |