The entire workforce at the BlueOval SK (BOSK) electric vehicle battery park in Hardin County is being laid off as Ford announces a major restructuring.
Ford will turn the Glendale factory into a battery-storage business for customers such as utilities, wind and solar developers, and massive data centers.
BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams made the announcement Monday afternoon in a video to employees.
"The BlueOval SK battery park here in Glendale, which includes the Kentucky 1 and 2 plants will be owned and run by a Ford subsidiary," explained Adams. "Some difficult steps must be taken, including the end of all BlueOval SK positions in Kentucky."
The Glendale will be converted to manufacture 5 MWh+ advanced battery energy storage systems. Ford said it plans to produce LFP prismatic cells, battery energy storage system modules and 20-foot DC container systems at the Glendale campus. Operations are expected to begin in 2027.
The action is part of Ford's pivot from the EV industry "where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs, and regulatory changes," according to a news release from the company.
Adams didn't give a time frame for the layoffs, but said employees will have access to benefits and continue to receive paychecks for the next 60 days.
Production operator Bill Wilmoth called the announcement "shocking."
"Nobody wants to receive news like this, that they've lost their job, especially in the dead of winter and in the Christmas season," Wilmoth told WKU Public Radio. "My heart goes out to my coworkers."
Ford said in a statement that it plans to hire 2,100 employees for the the Glendale plant's next venture and the laid off EV battery workers will have the opportunity to apply for those jobs.
"Kentucky has been a manufacturing powerhouse for Ford for more than 110 years. We're looking forward to expanding our presence in the state," Ford Communications Director Jess Enoch said in an email to WKU Public Radio. "Battery energy storage is an exciting new market segment for us, and we can't wait to get started."
Gov. Andy Beshear issued a statement expressing faith in Ford to keep the restructured project moving forward.
"Kentucky will remain the EV battery capital of the U.S. because EV is — and will be — part of America's future, despite the President's shortsighted attacks on the industry," said Beshear. "We have that same confidence in our longtime partner Ford, which recently invested nearly $2 billion in Louisville's Assembly Plant to establish production of an electric midsize pickup truck."
Last week, Ford announced it was ending its partnership with South Korea's SK On and would take sole ownership of the plant.
Kentucky State Rep. Samara Heavrin and State Rep. Steve Bratcher, who represent Hardin County, issued a joint statement following Monday's announcement:
"We are optimistic about Ford Motor Company's decision to take over the Glendale facility and transition the project toward energy storage, particularly as initial plans for the project have faced significant challenges from the outset," the statement read. "At the same time, optimism must be matched with both caution and accountability, and we will be watching closely to ensure commitments are met and honored."
As part of Ford's restructuring, the next-generation F-150 Lightning will shift to an extended-range EV and be assembled at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. Production of the current generation F-150 Lightning has concluded at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville and that factory will focus instead on hybrid vehicles and a future line of smaller, cheaper EVs.
The BlueOval City campus in Stanton, TN will be renamed Tennessee Truck Plant. The facility will produce all-new Built Ford Tough truck models starting in 2029. The gas-powered trucks will replace the previously planned next generation electric truck. SK On will fully own and operate the Tennessee plant.
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