As part of Ford’s “Way Forward” the Norfolk assembly plant ends production

Another sad story in Ford's attempt to regain profitability! After 82 year of building cars, the Norfolk Assembly plant ends production when the last vehicle – a red 2007 Ford F-150 Lariat – rolled off the assembly line. The 2.6 million square-feet 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 Kevin Gideon, plant manager.

“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 Truck Plant and Kansas City 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.