Ford Ready To Invest $128 Million in Avon Lake Plant

The city of Avon Lake is the recipient of some good news today.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting Ford Motor Co. will invest $128 million into the Ohio Assembly Plant to build medium-duty trucks and motor-home chassis. Avon Lake Mayor K.C. Zuber confirmed the investment at noon today.

“Once again this assure we are going to have a vehicle,” Zuber said. “It’s great news for Avon Lake and Lorain County as well as Ohio.”

The news is part of a tentative agreement between Ford and the UAW to help retain or create nearly 6,000 U.S. jobs and affect wages, pay and buyouts. Zuber said he did not know yet if Avon Lake would be adding new jobs. No timeline for a new vehicle, or what specific vehicle would be added, was announced.

Ford Motor Co. is and accounts for approximately 25 percent of the city’s income tax revenue.

There was widespread speculation this week that failure of the company to invest in Avon Lake could lead to the plant’s closure. A Sept. 29 article in the Detroit Free Press said lack of a new vehicle could mean the plant would close.

Zuber credited a host of people with helping ensure the plant would receive another vehicle.

“I wanted to thank (union heads) Nick Gallogly and the who both worked so hard on this,” Zuber said. He also credited former Ohio Assembly Plant manager Joseph Lee and current plant manager Alex Maciag.

Ford Motor Co. has not yet issued a statement confirming the agreement, which would need to ratified.