I started in the building trades union (Millwright #1871) in 1973. My first job was in the Avon Lake plant putting in the conveyor systems and other equipment to build the van bodies. The plant was a former Fruehauf trailer manufacturing facility.
Only the van bodies were assembled and painted, and then shipped via special equipped trucks to the Ford Lorain Plant where they were assembled and driven off the line. The trucks used to transport the bodies could hold seven if I recall. I installed some of the conveyor into the trucks to carry the bodies.
At one time Ford was going to build their own private roadway between the two plants because of the height of the special trucks used. Some type of agreement was made with the state of Ohio and the trucks were able to use the public road.
I did work in the Lorain plant also, and over the years installed conveyor for the Thunderbird, Cougar, and the E-vans which were built there.
Avon Lake grew, and at one time they also built the Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest in a different building. I retired in 2006. My last job was at the Avon Lake Plant putting in a new line for the E vans which were moving there after the Lorain plant shut down.
I spent many holidays in those plants for shut down work which had to be done while the Ford employees were on leave. Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th, Memorial day, etc.
Great to see Ford coming back to Ohio and the communities where they have been for decades.