Production on most of Ford’s F-Series trucks has been suspended following a major fire at a Michigan parts supplier that deals with several OEMs.
However, despite the temporary shutdown, Ford told reporters during a press conference call that its truck inventory is large enough that sales will not be affected by last week’s blaze at Meridian Magnesium Products of America’s plant in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.
“It’s very important to note that we have healthy inventories—very strong inventories of our key vehicles on dealer lots presently, including of course our best-selling F-Series pickup trucks,” said Joe Hinrichs, executive vice president and president of Global Operations. “Customers will not have trouble finding the F-Series that best meets their needs. We have an 84-day supply currently of F-Series trucks.”
Last Wednesday’s fire at Meridian began in an area where magnesium scraps are placed on a conveyor to be melted down for reuse. Two people were injured during the fire at the 208,000 square foot plant which employs roughly 400 people.
Thirty percent of plant production is dedicated to Ford parts, while the remaining 70 percent is for other OEMs, including FCA and GM which is also facing production issues caused by the fire for the Chrysler Pacifica minivan (FCA), GMC Savana and Chevy Express full-size vans, according to detroitnews.com.
The fire affected production on three Ford parts: a front bolster used to structurally support the front of the engine compartment in the F-150, Super Duty, Expedition and Navigator; a third-row seat cushion pan used in the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT; and a liftgate component used in the MKT.
