| Type | Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Founder(s) | Henry Ford |
| Headquarters | Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
| Area served | Canada, United States |
| Key people | David Mondragon |
| Products | Mainstream/Performance vehicles Automotive parts |
| Services | Automotive finance, Vehicle leasing, Vehicle service |
| Revenue | see Ford Motor Company for details |
| Owner(s) | Ford Motor Company |
| Parent | Ford Motor Company |
| Website | Ford Canada |
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited (French: Ford du Canada Limitée) was founded in 1904 for the purpose of manufacturing and selling Ford automobiles in Canada and the British Empire. The Ford Motor Company in Detroit transferred the patent and selling rights to the Walkerville Wagon Company, in order to avoid the tariff rates for non-British Empire countries. The Company was originally known as the Walkerville Wagon Works, and was located in Walkerville, Ontario (now incorporated within Windsor, Ontario). The Company President Gordon McGregor convinced a group of investors to invest in Henry Ford's new automobile, which was being produced across the river in Detroit.
On August 17, 1904, the Ford Motor Company was founded in Walkerville, Ontario. The Company had gained all Ford patent rights and selling privileges to all parts of the British Empire, except Great Britain and Ireland. The Model C, the first car to be produced in Canada, rolled out of the factory in late September 1904. The Company could produce two cars at a time and in its first full year of production, the Company was able to produce 117 automobiles. The Company's first export sales were to Calcutta, India. The Company is still an important manufacturing enterprise in Windsor.
With the growth in car sales after World War II, Ford of Canada decided to move its head office and build a new assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario. The new Oakville assembly plant was opened in 1953. In order to meet ever increasing demand, the Company opened another assembly plant in Talbotville, Ontario in 1967.
Historically Ford was one of most powerful companies in Canada, and in the 1970s, Ford was the "largest" company in Canada.[1] Ford of Canada celebrated its Centennial in 2004, shortly after the Parent Company Ford in the United States did in 2003.
In 2010, Ford was embroiled in a controversy surrounding a plan to construct a massive gas-fired power plant to be operated by TransCanada on a disused 13.5-acre (55,000 m2) portion of its Oakville assembly plant. Local residents and politicians have pleaded with Ford not to continue with the plan, which is believed by many to threaten the health and safety of local residents. With the recent catastrophic explosion at a gas-fired power plant in Middletown, Connecticut, and the 2008 Toronto propane explosion, many believe that a buffer zone for such plants is required and that the Ford site is inappropriate due to its close proximity to homes and schools.
Current CEO and president of Ford Motor Company of Canada is Dianne Craig who replaced David Mondragon effective November 1, 2011. Mondragon had served as president and CEO since September 1, 2008, when he replaced Barry Engle [2] who resigned to join New Holland America as its CEO. William H. Osborne had held the position since 2005 and was replaced by Engle in February 2008.[3]
The firm both sells automobiles in Canada, and manufactures automobiles, for sale in Canada and other countries.
Contents |
| Plant | Location | Employees[4] | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville Assembly Complex | Oakville, Ontario | 3,820 | 1953 | Still active | also Canadian Headquarters |
| St. Thomas Assembly Plant | St. Thomas, Ontario | 2,460 | 1968 | September 2011 | Only production facility for the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for fleet orders, Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car for limo operators |
| Windsor Engine Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 1,850 | 1978 | Scheduled to close permanently in 2014 | Produices Triton engines for F-150 |
| Essex Engine Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 542 | 1981; re-open late 2009 | 2007 | Flexible engine plant produced engine for Ford Mustang |
| Windsor Aluminum Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 940 | 1992 | Still active | Produces Duratec block |
| Plant | Location | Year opened | Year closed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Casting Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 1934 | May 30, 2007 | Now Demolished |
| Essex Aluminum Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 1981 | February 13, 2009 | Built originally to make cylinder heads for Essex Engine Plant, later as joint venture with Alfa SA of Mexico subsidiary Nemak; once produced engines for Mustangs, E-series vans and F-series trucks |
| Ontario Truck Plant | Oakville, Ontario | 1965 | 2004 | re-tooled and re-opened as part of Oakville Car Plant |
| Walkerville Plant | Windsor, Ontario | 1904 | 1953 | near 3001 Riverside Drive East - former Canadian Headquarters and main assembly operations also known as Plant 1; demolished 1969 and now abandoned lands facing Fleming Channel |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||