The Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation had its heavy lifters at the Jackson Fairgrounds for an in-person panel discussion about BlueOval City – a massive new environmentally and technologically advanced vehicle and battery manufacturing campus in West Tennessee that is leading the shift to an electric America.
Kel Kearns, Plant Manager, Electric Vehicle Center, BlueOval City, was impressed by the enthusiasm at the meeting.
“We’ve have had a great community meeting (Thursday) and it was great to see a turnout of almost 500 people to listen to our presentation and to ask questions – and more importantly for us – to listen and learn … as we move forward,” Kearns said, “We were able to give a really good update on where we are with BlueOval City.”
Kearns said work at the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County is on track.
“Construction has started, steel is up, and people are asking about the next steps – when hiring is going to happen for the operations team and those sorts of things,” Kearns said, “We are really, really encouraged by the response that we had today … a lot of questions and a lot of excitement about what’s happening moving forward.”
In September 2021, Ford announced the $5.6 billion project to build electric F-Series pickups at the 3,600-acre parcel of land – the Memphis Regional Megasite.
The Ford Motor Company has broken ground on the construction of steel structures in Stanton, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Memphis.
BlueOval City, is a joint venture with SK Innovation, which will build battery factories at the Tennessee site and in Glendale, Kentucky.
In West Tennessee, the project is predicted to boost the economies of several counties. Ford plans to employ about 6.000 workers at the plant, while construction of the factory and the arrival of Ford suppliers will create thousands more jobs.
The conversation offered residents in the area a look at the present, and what to expect in the future –
• What to expect in the community during construction
• Measures Ford is taking to protect the adjacent and connected water and land resources
• An overview of anticipated workforce needs at Blue Oval City and the many strategies they are using to meet them
• An overview of Ford’s philanthropic approach to support communities near its facilities
• Ensuring supplier diversity at Blue Oval City throughout construction and beyond
Panelists included:
• Alison Nelson, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Racial Equity
• Vanessa Presson, HR Manager, Electric Vehicle Center at Blue Oval City
• Ermal Faulkner, Director, Blue Oval City, and EV Sites, Ford Motor Company
• Kel Kearns, Plant Manager, Electric Vehicle Center, Blue Oval City
• Andy Bianco, Manager, Manufacturing Learning & Development, Ford Motor Company
• Yisel Cabrera, Senior Manager, Economic Mobility, Ford Fund
• Neva McGruder Burke, HR Manager, Blue Oval SK Battery Plant at Blue Oval City
• Ursula Madden, External Affairs Manager, Blue Oval SK
(PHOTO: Kel Kearns, Plant Manager, Electric Vehicle Center, Blue Oval City)
