Future of Ford’s Oakville assembly plant in danger – by Michael Lewis (Toronto Star – June 17, 2020)

https://www.thestar.com/

The future of Ford Motor Co.’s Oakville Assemby Complex has been thrown into question following reports that one of the primary models assembled there may be discontinued.

Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at Pennsylvania-based AutoForecast Solutions, said the current program for the next generation Edge SUV, which is assembled in Oakville, has been cancelled, to be replaced by more up-to-date products, such as the recently updated Ford Escape and the upcoming new Bronco Sport.

“We have confirmed the information from multiple sources within the industry,” Fiorani, told the Star. “We expect our sources to be correct.”

If the vehicle is cancelled, some analysts said it could lead to the closure of the Oakville Assembly Complex, which employs more than 4,000 workers.

When approached by the Star, the head of the largest union at Ford’s last remaining vehicle assembly plant in Canada said Ford is reviewing its vehicle lineup, but has not reached a conclusion about the future of the Edge SUV, which will see its current generation production end in 2023.

For the rest of this article: https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/06/16/future-of-fords-oakville-assembly-plant-in-danger.html