Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson says he and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear will meet with Ford Motor Company executives over the next few months to discuss the company's plans for the Louisville Assembly Plant.The struggling automaker announced Monday that it's cutting a production shift at the plant that makes Explorers, partly because of slowing demand for the sport utility vehicle. The move means about 500 workers could be laid off this summer.Abramson says he's optimistic the company will follow through on an earlier pledge to produce a new vehicle at the plant."So while you're disappointed on the one hand, we're very determined on the other hand, to insure that this community continues to be a part of the Ford family, for generations to come, we're hopeful. So we'll be working with Ford in terms of their future plans," the mayor said.The Louisville Assembly Plant currently employs about 2,200 workers. Ford also announced production cuts at plants in Chicago and Cleveland.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.