Ford ceases production at Norfolk Assembly Plant

Production ended June 28 at Ford Motor Company’s Norfolk (Va.) Assembly Plant when the last vehicle – a red 2007 Ford F-150 Lariat – rolled off the assembly line. The 2.6 million-square-foot plant, which employed 1,250 hourly and salaried workers, idled at 7:50 a.m.

“For 82 years, the Norfolk Assembly workforce has built quality and pride into every vehicle coming off this assembly line,” said plant manager Kevin Gideon. “We’ve built some of the world’s best vehicles and built tremendous customer loyalty during that time. A heartfelt thank-you goes to the men and women of this plant, our community and our customers, who have made Norfolk Assembly something special.”

Norfolk opened in 1925 and produced 7,983,458 cars and trucks over the years. Production of the Ford F-150 will be continued at Dearborn (Mich.) Truck Plant and Kansas City (Mo.) Assembly Plant, the other two producers of the country’s best-selling light pickup.

Norfolk Assembly Plant is one of 16 Ford facilities to be idled under the company’s plan to return its North American automotive operations to profitability.