Ford's Dearborn Plant Celebrates 10 Years of Green Manufacturing
Ford is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Dearborn Truck Plant, which was built as the environmentally friendly centerpiece of the Ford Rouge Center. Critics will say the plant's sustainability angle (meaning it is less harmful and wasteful to the environment and landfills) is simply marketing and self-promotion, but there is no arguing that the program is saving Ford money.
A key feature of the Dearborn Truck Plant is what Ford calls a "living roof," which covers the entire manufacturing plant with 10.4 acres of sturdy, drought-resistant plant life. The living roof provides extra insulation in the winter time, uses direct and stored rain water, and keeps the roof and adjoining building temperatures cooler in the summer, and don't forget about converting carbon dioxide into oxygen. In fact, much of the lighting comes from the roof as well. The Ford Rouge Center is part of a huge factory tour that USA Today calls one of the 10 great places to be inspired by innovation. More than 1 million visitors have taken the Ford factory tour since it opened 10 years ago. It is scheduled to undergo a significant renovation (which will include more interactive displays and exhibits) to coincide with changes being made to the plant in preparation for producing the 2015 Ford F-150 pickup.
If you're ever in Detroit, the self-guided Rouge Center tour is worth checking out. And no Ford celebration (this time reguarding the Dearborn Truck Plant) is complete without a fact-filled info-graphic and video so here is both below.
Comments
I don't care what anyone says, this is good way of doing business.
Its a good way to make up a little bit for building so many envirmentally unfriendly vehicles.
Bravo Ford Motor Company!!! A world class leader in innovation, technology, and products! A true asset to the United States of America and to every other market reached by their great vehicles and great people.
Cool video.
This kind of advertising and promo works very well for Subaru, but I wonder how well it will work on the people who buy Ford trucks.
And they installed 10 million tires in 10 years??? Walmart probably sells that many in a month!
The episode of mega factories on this plant is pretty cool.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=khbb1vBz_U0
Truck buyers want to hear about those Chevy Silverado factories in Mexico. You never see any advertising or promos for them. Gotta keep it hush hush. Govn't Motors.
Why can't GM be more like Ford.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPQ44RDOAx4
wow! didn't know that! That's where my 2013 F-150 was made and it makes me feel good about owning one.
@Lou BC/DeverMike/Paul/Tom Lemon/Greg Baird/TRX4Tom/Dave/Hemi V8/Tom Terrific/sandman 4x4/lautenslager/zveria/Bob/US Truck Driver/Glenn/Jason/Hemi Rampage/smartest truck guy/Maxx/SuperDuty37/Ken/Ron/johnny doe/jim/ALL1/Frank/Idahoe Joe/The Guy/AD/Casey/papa jim/Young Guy/BeeBe/Steve/Chris/The truck guy/Alex/Mr Chow/Yessir/All Americans/Scott/Buy American or say Bye to America or whoever you want to call yourself.
Quit the crap, really.
It's getting long in the tooth.
You want to debate, but it has to be on your terms.
Learn to debate with good information, then we might be able to have a decent debate.
Opinions are good, but if they are only your view to support the UAW, then how good are they. Look at what you guys have done to Detroit.
Terror tactics (union tactics) don't work on me.
If PUTC wants the UAW or whatever to control this site I suppose it's their decision.
It's not kids like I've been told by PUTC.
They don't seem to care. So this will go on.
If Ford did really care they would have done this without any government aide.
It's all marketing, just look at the advertisement. The first thing it discusses is the number of F-150s, alluding to it's popularity.
Looking at the 'Fun Facts' it's also skewed towards children or what think the average F-150 buyers mentality is ;)
It's about perception to try and make people feel good about their product.
GM has been doing this for the last couple years. But for some reason the moderator shows special attention to Ford.
Words Banned By GM Employees:
Words they are not allowed to use:
Big Time
Life Threatening
Deathtrap http://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2014/gm-words-employees-should-never-use.shtml
Explode
@Tom#3
A phrase/troll that needs to be banned here is "Big Al from Oz".
BREAKING:
GOV'T MOTORS recalls another 2 million vehicles...
May 20, 2014 at 3:54 pm
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140520/AUTO0103/305200066/GM-recalling-2-42-million-more-vehicles-U-S
Washington — General Motors Co. said Tuesday it is recalling 2.59 million more vehicles worldwide in four new and expanded recall campaigns as fallout continues to mount from its ignition-switch crisis. One of those recalls — for some of its most popular full-size SUVs — caused GM to tell dealers to stop selling both new and used models until fixes are made.
So far this year, the Detroit automaker has recalled 13.57 million vehicles in the United States, plus an undisclosed number in two additional campaigns that have not yet been made public. Less than five months into the year, that number already has shattered the automaker’s annual record of 11.8 million vehicles recalled in 2004.
@ Papa jim, you have no facts that Walmart installs 10 mil tires in a month. I doubt in several months.
@ jim ... it's up to GM to put the press release out IF they really have a GREEN factory. News like this would be on other news outlets besides here. Seen any on GM with positive news?
@supercrew02. Hyperbole. Look it up.
Here is a fact: Walmart has over 2000 stores in the US. If each store sells 10k tires per year, that's 20 million in just a year.
10k tires per year is less than 1000 per month. Can you get your arms around that number?
@superscrew02 - papa jim is right...I'll take it one step further
Here is a fact: Walmart has over 2000 stores in the US. If each store sells 10 packs of toilet paper per day, and each pack has 8 rolls, that's 58.4 million rolls in just a year.
@Buy American or say Bye to America! - "A true asset to the United States of America and to every other market reached by their great vehicles and great people..."
Here, here I've couldn't have said it better myself...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wK51Ek9jek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onvxmqdyXzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zftN8Br8-A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG7CSYIExRQ
Keep up the good work Ford!
@the OTHER LouBC
If every Walmart service department just sells 4 new tires to only six cars/pickups five days per week, they hit the number.
Paper products were not part of the discussion but it's encouraging to know in case I ever run out on a weekend.
@the OTHER papa jim - "Paper products were not part of the discussion but it's encouraging to know in case I ever run out on a weekend..."
Not a problem, but what will you do if you run out during the week? I know...if you run out, just print your posts from this site and use that paper....at least you posts will be good for something.
There is a HUGE disconnect between the "greenness" of a vehicle and the "greenness" of the plant where a vehicle is built.
The parts used to build a vehicle contain a number of toxic and carcinogens chemicals. There is no way around until the auto industry as a whole adopt different manufacturing materials.
I live in California and vehicles sold here have to have the following Prop 65 disclaimer: "WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm."
My point is this: given how vehicles are made and the materials used to make them, there is no such thing as a "green" manufacturing plant. It is possible to cut back the environmental impact a little as it looks like Ford has done, but the overall impact has been only reduced by a very small amount, nothing significant. It is the same for any other automaker as well.
What is affecting the environment is the fact that they government has done programs such as "cash for clunkers" getting rid of perfectly good vehicles and leaving them (and all their toxic materials/chemicals) to disintegrate and become once more apart of the earth.
@ papa jim... again no facts. You say and I quote "Here's a fact" then say "IF" they sell". Since when say "IF" makes that a fact??? You are assuming, that's dangerous. I know for FACT 2 new SUPER Walmart's near me DON'T sell tires. Soooo don't say "IF" as it's a fact. Won't make you look good. Got arms around that.
Truck plants running pretty much around the clock moving tires, Can same be said for a Walmart? Doubt it.
@Supercrew--dude, seriously. Look up 'hyperbole'
It makes Ford look good and saves them money - a win win situation for them.
papa jim is the oldest troll on putc
One thing nobody talks about is Ford will never go out of business meaning you won't be stuck with a Ford without a warranty or repair parts like how Saturn and Suzuki stuck it to their customers.
Look at GM. They are in deep trouble, If I owned a newer GM vehicle I would be worried and thinking about getting rid of it now.
The way the F-150 out-sells every other pickup makes me feel comfortable owning one thinking the majority of the people buying one knowing what they are doing, I mean 700,000 people a year buying one can't be all stupid!
The Ram is a great pickup but the cult type mentality of the people that own one worries me cause I don't want to be like them, these people are obsessed with their Ram, there's more important things in life than being in love with the pickup you own and I don't want to fall into that trap.
The Toyota Tundra is a pretend pickup, its not taken serious by Toyota, Toyota doesn't really care cause they want to sell cars instead so no passion from Toyota is poured into the Tundra, nothing innovative there!
Nissan Titan? Its a race car engine in a pickup, its fast, powerful, nice exhaust sound, but it gets 11 MPG, but its NOT a work truck! Can't haul or tow!
Thank You for allowing me to express my opinion and pouring my guts out what I really think, I expect everybody else to disagree with me but I won't fight with you and call you names and I will respect your opinion
Tom#3 is a child
@Frank - "Why can't GM be more like Ford..."
Based on the news from GM this week they are working on it....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/09/us-ford-motor-recall-idUSBREA480O020140509
http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/05/05/ford-recalls-about-4000-super-duty-f-series-trucks-for-transmission-issue/
http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/ford-gm-recalls-cars-44425.shtml
Soon they'll be just like Ford!
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