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VAGATOR

By VAGATOR
in Norfolk

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Stunad Whistle-Stop

Stunad

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It sounds like our local leaders are doing what they do best, reactive policy-making. Gov Kaine isn't going to be able to get Ford to change its mind. They're streamlining to save their lives and we have to accept that as their business decision. As for getting Toyota over here, I'm all for incentives; as long as we're not humiliating ourselves in order to get them here. But in the bigger picture, our leaders are saying nothing about diversifying the local economy. We need to be attracting more Financial firms, port related shipping lines, and IT types of businesses among others. Until we make this our agenda we'll only be a NAVY/defense spending and tourism related economy.

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Chesapeake Pirate Hamlet

Chesapeake Pirate

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I think that the mayor and the govenor are wasting tax dollars going up to Ford. Ford is closing and we need to concentrate on what we are going to do to replace it. This is time wasted on trying to change someones mind that won't change

Rus, I hear what you are saying, but there is too much to be gained by not making this attempt, even if the chance is one in a 1,000. Besides, can you imagine how loud some would protest if they just rolled over and said that the closing was okay and we will simply move on? It would be political suicide not to make this effort.

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Seven Cities Whistle-Stop

Seven Cities

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Well at least Fraim, Kaine, and other lawmakers tried to convince Ford to reverse or postpone the closing. I give them an "A" for effort. Like willy said, now every other car maker needs to be courted to try to locate a new major manufacturing operation here. I dont know if anyone else said this in previous pages, but maybe Ford should have considered diversifying the plant. I know that other auto plants have been redesigned to make more than one type of vehicle. That could have been a viable option.

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rusthebuss Metropolis

rusthebuss

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Well at least Fraim, Kaine, and other lawmakers tried to convince Ford to reverse or postpone the closing. I give them an "A" for effort. Like willy said, now every other car maker needs to be courted to try to locate a new major manufacturing operation here. I dont know if anyone else said this in previous pages, but maybe Ford should have considered diversifying the plant. I know that other auto plants have been redesigned to make more than one type of vehicle. That could have been a viable option.

The plant was too small to diversify. This is the reason they closing this plant.

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hoobo Burg

hoobo

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Everywhere I read that Toyota plans to expand to 8 plants in North America from its current 5. From what I gather, sites in Ontario and Texas were selected some time ago. The Texas plant is to come online later this year. It looks like Toyota has also chosen a site adjacent to the Texas plant currently under construction for its 8th North American plant scheduled to open in 2009. I don't see any other information on a 9th plant so I assume that Toyota has selected Texas over the other sites under consideration including the 3 sites in the HR area.

Toyota Assembly Plant News

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Ford slowdown hurting regional business :(

Last week, Ford Motor Co. halted production of F-150 pickups at its Norfolk plant, and now the effects are rippling through the plant's network of local suppliers and contractors.

About 140 production workers and 24 salaried personnel are being laid off from Johnson Controls Inc.'s seat-building plant in Chesapeake, according to a company filing with the Virginia Employment Commission. At Visteon Corp.'s gas tank plant near Greenbrier Mall, 80 salaried and hourly employees are being let go.

In letters to the commission, both companies called the layoffs temporary but stressed that they could extend beyond the end of the year, depending on "Ford's production needs." Ford plans to shut the facility in 2008, but the company is speeding up its restructuring plan and many workers fear that date will come sooner.

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Sky06 Burg

Sky06

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The VP has worn out this story. Yeh, it hurts for anyone to lose their jobs, but let's look at the bigger picture. Unfortunately, the VP is more interested in pushing their negative views. The result is people have a distorted impression.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story...&ran=222527

Ford's Norfolk Assembly Plant, slated to close in 2008, has about 2,275 hourly workers. . . .

Construction employment grew by 3,600 jobs, or 7 percent, from July 2005 to July 2006.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Just saw it on Yahoo! and pilotonline...first words that came to mind...

uh oh

We all knew it was coming. With each subsequent article it became clear the plant wouldn't last to 08. Ford is a company in deep distress. Our 2000+ job losses are miniscule compared to other regions. I found this quote telling however.

Ford has acknowledged a need for drastic changes in its product lineup. Like other U.S. automakers, its bottom line is heavily dependent on high-margin trucks and large SUVs, but recently consumer preferences have shifted toward more fuel-efficient vehicles. Ford says the speed of that shift caught it by surprise.

Surprise? How so? With gas pegging above $3.00/gallon for the better part of a year it should've been expected. Sounds like they need to revamp their management team as well.

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urbanvb City

urbanvb

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This just out.

Letter to workers says Ford plant will close in third quarter of 2007

NORFOLK -- Ford Motor Co. will stop building F-150 trucks at its Norfolk Assembly Plant in the third quarter of 2007, a year earlier than previously planned, according to a letter sent to Ford employees at the plant.

story

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Late change to Ford deadline leaves plant workers fuming

The last day for workers at Ford Motor Co.'s truck plant to choose how they want to leave took a messy turn Tuesday.

Ford and the United Auto Workers agreed late Monday to give workers an extra day on Tuesday to make their decisions.

Nearly 1,700 hourly workers at the F-150 factory off Indian River Road had asked the company for severance packages - education, lump-sum payments or early retirement - by early Tuesday afternoon.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Norfolk banks set for expansion

Norfolk-based Bank of the Commonwealth laid the foundations for a massive expansion in 2006.

Its earnings report released Jan. 25, for the fourth quarter and year end of 2006, showed net income of $10.09 million for the year, an increase of $3.45 million over 2005. For the fourth quarter, net income was $2.8 million, an $800,000 increase over the fourth quarter 2005.

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