Twin Cities Assembly Plant

A dam below the Twin Cities Assembly Plant supplies it with electrical power

Ford Motor Company's Twin Cities Assembly Plant is located next to the Mississippi River in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is the oldest Ford plant still in operation, having been first built in 1924. Today, the plant manufactures the Ford Ranger pickup truck and the similar Mazda B-Series. In 2004, a vehicle took an average of 20.77 hours of labor to roll through the assembly line, 3.5 hours faster than might be expected in comparison to other plants. The site also primarily runs on clean hydroelectric power from a company-owned dam on the river, resulting in significant savings in cost and fuel usage. For many years, the soft sandstone underneath the plant was mined to obtain raw material to make glass for vehicle windows. The mining has long since ended, but the tunnels remain.

Despite advantages that the plant offers, it was rumored to be among the plants that were expected to be closed when company officials revealed restructuring plans dubbed "The Way Forward" on January 23, 2006. The St. Paul plant however was not included among the list of announced plant closings. There was no immediate word about the future of St. Paul's plant. Moreover, the popularity of the Ranger has been declining. Over 25% fewer vehicles were produced in 2004 as in 2000. Ford plants were operating at an average capacity of 75% in 2004. The Twin Cities Assembly Plant beat the average at 83%, but some industry observers believe it isn't enough to hold off the plant's ultimate closure.

The promise of cheap hydropower was the chief reason why Henry Ford agreed to build a plant in St. Paul. The dam was initially completed in 1917, making it one of the oldest on the river. Ironically, hydroelectric power required a rather large dam, which meant that the first lock and dam built on the Mississippi would become redundant and have to be demolished. Some remains of the upstream Meeker Island Lock and Dam still poke out of the water when the river is low. A major upgrade to the Ford Dam was completed in 1929, and the completion of locks by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers followed in 1932.

A view of the Intercity Bridge

The Ford name is also attached to a nearby bridge, completed in 1927. Officially known as the Intercity Bridge, it connects 46th Street on the Minneapolis side of the river to the Ford Parkway in St. Paul.

External links

• USACE: Lock and Dam No. 1
• City of Saint Paul: Ford Parkway Bridge
• Google map of the Ford plant area

References

• Minnesota Public Radio (April 13, 2006). St. Paul's Ford plant to close. Minnesota Public Radio.
• Mike Meyers (December 2, 2005). Ford plant's strengths may not save it. Star Tribune.
• Patrick Sweeney (January 23, 2006). St. Paul Ford plant to stay open, at least for now. Pioneer Press.