Norfolk Assembly
Ford factory near Norfolk, Virginia (1925-2007)
title: "Norfolk Assembly" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ford-factories", "former-motor-vehicle-assembly-plants", "motor-vehicle-assembly-plants-in-virginia", "economy-of-norfolk,-virginia"] description: "Ford factory near Norfolk, Virginia (1925-2007)" topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Assembly" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Ford factory near Norfolk, Virginia (1925-2007) ::
Norfolk Assembly was a Ford manufacturing plant that opened on April 20, 1925 {{cite web | title = Despite Ford's troubles, Norfolk plant is likely to keep on truckin' | publisher = Jeremiah McWilliams, The Virginian-Pilot© November 11, 2005 | url = http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860 | access-date = April 11, 2008 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20070811045236/http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=95163&ran=106860 | archive-date = August 11, 2007 | url-status = dead | title = Ford Sells Norfolk Assembly Plant | publisher = Autoblog, 18 Mar 2011, Daniel Patrascu | url = https://www.autoevolution.com/news/ford-sells-norfolk-assembly-plant-33058.html}}
Modeled after the River Rouge Plant, the facility eventually included a power house, water treatment plant, barber shop, safety-shoe store, restaurant, fitness center and TV studio.{{cite web | title = Joy Ride. Ford unions met resistance, brought relief | publisher = Virginian-Pilot, March 26, 2007, Bill Burke | url = http://hamptonroads.com/node/67531}} At the time of its closure, Ford employed more than 2,600 people at the 2800000 sqft facility. Ford invested $375 million at the plant in 2002 to upgrade it for production of the redesigned eleventh generation 2004 F-150.
Archival papers of the noted industrial architect Albert Kahn (housed at the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan) indicate that in 1934 Kahn's office prepared drawings for architectural work at Norfolk Assembly.{{cite web | title = Albert Kahn Papers, 1896-2011 | publisher = Bentley Historical Library | url = http://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhlead/umich-bhl-0420?rgn=main;view=text}}
Norfolk Assembly produced models including the Model T, Model A and school bus chassis.{{cite web | title = Joy Ride. School bus frames were a staple at Norfolk Ford plant | publisher = Virginian-Pilot, March 28, 2007, Bill Burke | url = http://hamptonroads.com/node/242571}} The last model manufactured at the plant was the F150.
Early history
As early as 1915, Ford Motor Company began planning a large assembly plant in Norfolk, projecting an initial investment of $300,000 ($7.4M in 2017 dollars), estimating an annual assembly of more than 2,000 cars and identifying several suitable sites.{{cite web | title = Back in the Day, December 1915 | publisher = Virginian-Pilot, December 9, 2018 | url = https://pilotonline.com/news/local/history/back-in-the-day/article_0963c054-f73d-11e8-ba48-9bb80abecfc5.html}}
The Mayor of Norfolk, S. Heth Tyler, drove the first Model T off the Norfolk Assembly line on April 20, 1925.{{cite web | title = Joy Ride. Part 1 of 7: Plant Opens in 1925. | publisher = Virginian-Pilot, March 25, 2007, Bill Burke | url = http://www.remodeling.hw.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=153&articleID=464933}} At the time, the plant was the largest non-seafaring-related manufacturing enterprise in Norfolk. During its first year, the plant produced 29,519 automobiles.
The plant closed down Model T production in 1927 to gear up for Model A production. On February 21, 1928, the Norfolk FORD Assembly Plant began its production of the Model A Ford.{{cite web | title = FORD'S CAR OUTPUT 1,200 TO 1,500 DAILY | publisher = New York Times, March 23, 1928 | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/03/23/91486312.html?login=email&auth=login-email&pageNumber=26}}
In 1942, Ford sold the plant to the federal government for $2 million and it became the Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot. Ford repurchased the plant in 1946 for $400,000 less than the company had sold it for in 1942.{{cite web | title = Joy Ride. Part 3 of 7: Navy took over Ford plant during war | publisher = Virginian-Pilot, March 25, 2007, Bill Burke | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2007/03/joy-ride-navy-took-over-ford-plant-during-war}}
Closure
As of 2004, the plant's productivity ranked 17th-best among 45 truck assembly plants, producing a truck in 22 hours, 54 minutes – 83 minutes faster than the national average, operating at 109 percent capacity compared with 94 percent in 2003. As late as December 2005, it had appeared that Norfolk Assembly would not be closing.{{cite web | title = Local Ford plant not on reported closing list | publisher = The Virginian Pilot, December 3, 2005 | url = http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=96351&ran=242442}} The plant was represented by United Auto Workers Local 919.
A drawing was held the last week of June 2007, for the last F150 produced at the plant. The truck, a red 2007 F-150 Lariat,{{cite web | title = Ford worker to get last truck off Norfolk's assembly line | publisher = Philip Walzer, The Virginian-Pilot© June 6, 2007 | url = http://hamptonroads.com/node/277691}} was won by Corey Bauswell of Portsmouth, Virginia. The last F-150 left the assembly line just after 7 AM on Thursday, June 28, 2007.{{cite news | title = Ford Plant in Norfolk Closes | publisher = The Washington Post©, June 28, 2007 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062801048.html | date=June 28, 2007 | accessdate=May 20, 2010}}
Subsequent history
In March 2011, the assembly plant was sold to Jacoby Development, Inc.{{cite web | title = Ford Sells Plant in Virginia | publisher = Edmunds, Michelle Krebs, March 21, 2011 | url = http://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2011/03/ford-sells-plant-in-virginia.html}} for $14.2 million. The development company renamed the facility the Virginia Renaissance Center {{cite web | title = 3 parcels of old Norfolk Ford plant sold | publisher = WVEC.cm, February 12, 2014 | url = http://www.wvec.com/my-city/norfolk/3-parcels-of-old-Norfolk-Ford-plant-sold-245181371.html}} and planned to demolish all structures on the site except the 662,000-square-foot main assembly building, making way for a mixed-use industrial project.
In 2011, the main assembly building was purchased by Katoen Natie{{cite web | title = Belgian firm to use Norfolk Ford plant for warehousing | publisher = Virginian Pilot, Josh Brown, March 19, 2011 | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2011/03/belgian-firm-use-norfolk-ford-plant-warehousing}} for $10.5 million{{cite web | title = New business at old Ford plant off to slow start | publisher = Virginian Pilot, Josh Brown, April 29, 2012 | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2012/04/new-business-old-ford-plant-slow-start}} to be used as a distribution hub for plastic pellets (nurdles) used in the manufacturing of plastic products.
As of 2014, the final parcels of Norfolk Assembly were sold for $4.1 million to The Schaubach Companies. with Katoen Natie retaining an option on the remaining 25 acres of the property. The Shaubach parcels were in turn sold to Bay Disposal, a trash collection and recycling company.
References
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