Ford boosts engine capacity; adds jobs              

WINDSOR, Ontario, – Ford is boosting engine capacity at its Windsor Engine Plant by 100,000 engines to meet greater than anticipated customer demand for vehicles powered by 5.4L,V8 and 6.8L,V10 Triton engines. The additional volume will be added to the company's engine capacity starting in the first quarter of 2000 and will result in the addition of 300 new jobs at Ford's Windsor Operations.

Approximately 200 jobs will be added at Windsor Engine Plant where a second production shift will be added to the Low Volume Line (LVL) at the plant's Annex. About 100 jobs will be added at Essex Engine Plant where facility changes have begun in preparation for machining cylinder blocks and crankshafts for V8 and V10 engines. The increase in production should be completely implemented by mid-year 2000.

"Our customers are clamoring like never before for more powerful, yet fuel-efficient, engines for their trucks and SUVs," said Ford of Canada President and CEO, Bobbie Gaunt. "We want them to know that we hear them and are taking necessary actions to meet their needs."

"The company's decision to assign production of an additional 100,000 engines to Windsor Operations recognizes the quality of the workforce, the leadership of the union and a determination by all concerned to compete for business and jobs with quality work and productivity," Gaunt added.

This is the second production increase announced for Windsor Engine Plant this year. On January 4, Ford announced it was boosting the plant's output of 5.4L,V8 Triton engines by 50,000 units. Windsor Engine Plant produced 615,840 of the award-winning, 5.4L,V8 Triton engines during 1998. The plant was originally built in 1922, closed in 1990, then rebuilt and re-opened in 1994 as a high-tech engine plant. It produces Ford's new generation of fuel-efficient, modular, Triton truck engines, the 4.6L V8, 5.4L V8 and 6.8L V10 Triton engines. Production of the three engines last year totaled 769,800.

Production Efficiencies Through Lean Manufacturing
Meeting the new capacity objective in a quick, yet cost-efficient, manner involved Ford Powertrain Operations strategists and manufacturing experts examining all aspects of Windsor Operations' production process – facility utilization, flexibility of equipment, cross-shipping, supply issues and workforce readiness – to determine areas where efficiencies could be enhanced.

"Our team had to do some unconventional, 'out of the box' thinking to come up with a strategy that would allow us to increase the flexibility of the Windsor plants," said Jim Solberg, Executive Director, Manufacturing Operations, Powertrain Operations, Ford Motor Company. "We were able to take advantage of lean manufacturing principles like the Ford Production System and other important initiatives to find new and more creative ways to increase our engine capacity without sacrificing the integrity of the production process, product quality or our own environmental pledge."

Product Information - Built "Ford Tough"
The Triton family of engines, which was introduced in 1997, offers a lineup of three high-performance, high-efficiency, low-emissions, modular engines: 4.6-litre V8, 5.4-litre V8 and 6.8-litre V10.

The 5.4-litre Triton V8, which powers Ford Expedition, F-150/250, SVT F-150 Lightning, Econoline 150/250/350 and E-350 recreational vehicle chassis, was recently named to Ward's AutoWorld list of "Top Ten Engines of 1999" -- winning for the third consecutive year.

The 6.8-litre Triton V10 powers the Super Duty F-Series, Econoline 250/350, E-350 chassis and the all new Excursion.

Ford Windsor Operations
A total of 6,203 hourly and salaried employees are located at five manufacturing and other facilities that make up Ford's Windsor Operations. They include Windsor Engine Plant which employs 2,417 hourly and salaried personnel and is one of the most productive engine plants in Ford worldwide. In 1998, it produced 769,800 engines which, when combined with output at Essex Engine Plant (1,490 hourly and salaried employees), set a Windsor Operations record of 1,363,000 engines for the year.

Ford has three casting plants in Windsor: Windsor Casting Plant (1,079 employees); Essex Aluminum Plant (781 employees) and Windsor Aluminum Plant (362 employees).

Another 42 people are employed at the Casting Aluminum Research and Development facility and 32 at International Distribution Operations.