A dam below the Twin Cities Assembly Plant supplies it with electrical power

Ford Motor Company's Twin Cities Assembly Plant is located next to the Mississippi River in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is the oldest Ford plant still in operation, having been first built in 1924. Today, the plant manufactures the Ford Ranger pickup truck and the similar Mazda B-Series. In 2004, a vehicle took an average of 20.77 hours of labor to roll through the assembly line, 3.5 hours faster than might be expected in comparison to other plants. The site also primarily runs on clean hydroelectric power from a company-owned dam on the river, resulting in significant savings in cost and fuel usage. For many years, the soft sandstone underneath the plant was mined to obtain raw material to make glass for vehicle windows. The mining has long since ended, but the tunnels remain. The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed FoMoCo), NYSE: F is a multinational corporation that manufactures automobiles. ... This page is about the river in the United States; there is also a Canadian Mississippi River (Ontario). ... State capitol building in Saint Paul Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Ford Ranger name is used on two distinct and unrelated pick-up truck lines by the Ford Motor Company: The North American Ford-designed compact pickup truck (documented here) The Mazda-designed compact pickup (documented at Mazda B-Series (International)) sold in more than 130 countries North American Ranger... Mazda compact Pickup truck with extended cabin and homebuilt lumber rack. ... See Mazda B-Series (International) for the non-North American version From the first B-Series pickup truck, Mazda has used the engine displacement to determine the name. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... Sandstone near Stadtroda, Germany Sandstone is an sedimentary rock composed mainly of feldspar and quartz and varies in colour (in a similar way to sand), through grey, yellow, red, and white. ... This article refers to the material. ...

Despite advantages that the plant offers, it may soon close because the popularity of the Ranger has been declining. Over 25% fewer vehicles were produced in 2004 as in 2000. Ford plants were operating at an average capacity of 75% in 2004. The Twin Cities Assembly Plant beat the average at 83%, but many industry observers believe it isn't enough to hold off the plant's closure for much longer. This article is about the year 2000. ...

The promise of cheap hydropower was the chief reason why Henry Ford agreed to build a plant in St. Paul. The dam was initially completed in 1917, making it one of the oldest on the river. Ironically, hydroelectric power required a rather large dam, which meant that the first lock and dam built on the Mississippi would become redundant and have to be demolished. Some remains of the upstream Meeker Island Lock and Dam still poke out of the water when the river is low. A major upgrade to the Ford Dam was completed in 1929, and the completion of locks by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers followed in 1932. Time Magazine, January 14, 1935 Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford Company (which later became Cadillac). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... The Meeker Island Lock and Dam circa 1910 The Meeker Island Lock and Dam (originally known as Lock and Dam No. ... -1... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on Friday. ...

The Ford name is also attached to a nearby bridge, completed in 1927. Officially known as the Intercity Bridge, it connects 46th Street on the Minneapolis side of the river to the Ford Parkway in St. Paul. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nickname: City of Lakes Motto: En Avant Official website: http://www. ...

External links

• USACE: Lock and Dam No. 1
• City of Saint Paul: Ford Parkway Bridge

References

• Mike Meyers (December 2, 2005). Ford plant's strengths may not save it. Star Tribune.