The opportunities will be on a scale the Memphis area hasn’t seen in decades.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The people who helped bring the $5.6 billion BlueOval City project to Haywood County believe it will transform our region’s economy.
In September 2021, when Ford Motor Company announced the BlueOval City project in West Tennessee, many wondered if the company would change the economic rules for Tennessee’s only major city that seems stagnant, especially when it comes to the area’s need. metropolitan Memphis to grow its middle class.
The mayor of Brownsville doesn’t need to be convinced what BlueOval City will mean for West Tennessee. Although it took the Tennessee city 200 years to reach its current population of 10,000, Mayor Bill Rawls said the project will cause a population explosion.
“We’re looking to double our population in the next 10 to 20 years, and that’s a conservative number,” Mayor Rawls said.
He also said plans are already being drawn up and permits issued.
“We talk to developers daily and we’re just looking to pull the trigger. We want to see some land moving and some houses coming out of the ground,” he said.
What’s already emerging is a huge new Ford truck assembly plant, as well as another plant, operated by BlueOvalSK, to make batteries for a next-generation all-electric F-150 pickup truck (codenamed “T-3”) . .
KeynoteUSA24 crews had to use a drone to try to capture what 14 million square feet looks like under one roof. Buildings stretched for blocks and blocks, roads were widened, water towers went up, and there were acres of trailers to temporarily house the thousands of construction workers, contractors, and subcontractors already on the construction site. the largest building ever built by Tennessee and Ford. project.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career,” said Mark Herbison of Tipton County Community Development. “I can tell you we never expected to get something like this. It is truly a miracle for our region.”
Herbison was with the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce when Tennessee first created what twenty years ago was known as the Memphis Regional Megasite, which he helped spearhead and ultimately convinced Ford to literally build a new city at a record pace.
“They are building the most sophisticated, technologically advanced and most sustainable facilities they have ever built.” he said.
The 3,600-acre Blue Oval City campus will soon hire up to 6,000 workers, not including several major suppliers who will build their own facilities and hire up to 3,000 more workers. Projections are that the entire project could generate up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The federal government estimates that each job on an automobile assembly line will generate 6 to 8 additional jobs due to the need for restaurants, cafes, clinics, daycares and hotels. The growth will extend for many miles in each direction, benefiting both Memphis and Jackson.
“This is a very important project for Ford. It is our first completely new plant in the United States in more than fifty years,” said Gabby Bruno, Ford Director of Community Relations.
Bruno said the company has a lot riding on this project. Since the announcement, and largely behind the scenes, Ford began to listen to citizens. The company is working diligently to see what barriers could prevent potential workers from accessing childcare and transportation.
He said Ford wants a workforce ready to hit the ground running when hiring begins.
“We are working closely with area schools and universities to develop a strong pipeline of local talent and Ford’s training programs will be comprehensive. We will have classroom training, hands-on experiences and online opportunities,” Bruno said.
The opportunities will be on a scale the Memphis area hasn’t seen in decades.
Ford is still somewhat elusive about when exactly mass hiring will begin, what types of jobs it will fill, and how much those positions will pay.
Right now, the company will only say that mass hiring will begin next year. However, BlueOvalSK has already started its mass recruitment. It is on the same site, but is not operated by Ford. So far, it has hired 300 people and 2,200 jobs will need to be filled in the coming months.
Positions include maintenance technicians, production operators, quality control technicians, and different types of engineers and specialists.
Depending on a person’s position and experience, pay ranges from $21 per hour to $37.50 per hour, or $44,000 to $78,000 per year. Industry sources said Ford’s pay scale will likely be higher than that.
Despite a slight weakening of the previously very high demand for all-electric vehicles, the company is moving full steam ahead.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow Keynote USA Local on Twitter.