AutoAlliance International (AAI) is a joint venture automobile assembly firm co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation. The main AAI plant is located at 1 International Drive in Flat Rock, Michigan. Its approximately 2,700,000 square feet (250,000 m2) and currently employs over 1,700 workers.[1]
The factory was opened by Ford Motor Company in 1972 as Michigan Casting Center (MCC), at the time one of the most technologically advanced casting facilities in the world. Despite the sizable capital investment, frequent labor relations problems and declining demand for the V8 engine blocks produced there led to the facility's closure in 1981, after less than a decade of operation.
Mazda Motor Corporation bought the closed plant in 1987, converted it to automobile assembly, and reopened it as Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA for production of the restyled Mazda 626 midsize sedan and Mazda MX-6 and Ford Probe coupes.
Ford repurchased a 50% share in the plant on April 15, 1992, and it officially became a joint-venture and was renamed AutoAlliance International on July 1, 1992 as Ford took over operational management. The plant began production of all models of the Mazda 626 sold in America starting in 1993. The Ford Contour-derived Mercury Cougar was produced at the plant from 1999 to 2002. Production of North American Mazda 6 models began in the 2002 model year, along with the current version of the Ford Mustang in 2005.
The factory is unionized with the United Auto Workers.
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