Scramble to house Ford Megasite workers begins

[TexasTowelie]

Celebrations for the $5.6 billion Ford Motor electric truck and battery plant are over as state and local officials run headlong into the reality of a massive construction project.

Ford has inked a contract with Detroit, Michigan-based Walbridge, a global contractor that specializes in large manufacturing projects for Ford and General Motors, and ground is expected to be broken in March, according to state officials.

But before local leaders get too excited about the impact of the 5,800-employee plant on the 4,100-acre Haywood County state-owned site, they’ve got to figure out how to play host to some 30,000 construction workers who will descend on the tract over the next three years. Blue Oval City, which is projected to be Ford’s largest and most environmentally friendly manufacturing plant, is slated to open in 2025.

State Sen. Page Walley, a Bolivar Republican who represents Haywood County and much of rural West Tennessee, estimates about 6,000 workers will be building the electric truck and battery plants at any given time. Figuring out where those people live, eat and play during their time on the construction site is part of the equation.

Read more: https://tennesseelookout.com/2022/02/22/scramble-to-house-ford-megasite-workers-begins/

[SergeStorms]

1. Seems like an ideal time....

for entrepreneurs to start support businesses to take care of all those workers. You'd have a captive customer base for the foreseeable future.

[SheltieLover]

2. The power grab has begun

I live in this region. Recent article about TN doing all sorts of odd things, including threatening to take over a small town.

There is absolutely nothing in this area.

[OldBaldy1701E]

3. I wonder if they put this much 'worry' into the effort to house the people that are already there.

Bah, who am I kidding? They get nothing from helping just anyone. Let's see how worried they are about the portion of workers who will be either laid off or injured on the job.

[SergeStorms]

4. Ford is building there for a reason.

Tax breaks, number one, but I'm sure lax worker comp. laws etc. have much to do with it as well.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Oh yes. Just ask the state about Dell!

Do you know they still have to pay Dell thousands of dollars each year because of their arrangement? When they tripped all over themselves to get them there, offered them the moon with no strings attached? Well, the bill came due. And, they are still paying them even as the bulk of the Dell operation left a long time ago. They kept one little call center there so that they are fulfilling their part of the contract. And, they are making millions off of the citizens of Tennessee who have nothing in return from Dell. Brilliant!

[SergeStorms]

6. Good old republican know how.

It got some republican elected at the time because he was bringing high paying jobs to Tennessee!

Now he's probably retired from politics, is working for some lobbyist for 100k a year, and receiving his government pension. It worked out great for him, and that's all he ever cared about.

[OldBaldy1701E]

7. Well, it was Don Sundquist who was governor when Dell came.

And, he is a republican. But, it was Phil Bredesen, then mayor of Nashville, that enticed them to locate in Davidson county (where Nashville is located.) Mr. Bredesen's office was across the street from the cafe where I worked and I would see him often enough that he knew me by name. He was an interesting character to say the least. From what I can see, this was a clear case of corporate deception, because Dell was already suffering from their willy-nilly growth of the past decade, and was already enacting cuts to their company. They just made sure no one knew about any of that until they got all those sweet incentives in writing. Then, they enacted cuts and downsizing. Nashville got screwed over on this one, but I cannot feel much for them as they literally fell all over themselves to beg Dell to come there in the first place. A little research might have saved Davidson county and Nashville a ton of money over the last 22 years.

[SergeStorms]

8. Ahhhh....

thanks for the back story. It's always nice to know what motivated these people to screw over the rest of the state. Thanks again.