Throughout the years, the Ford branding has been synonymous with the motoring industry. It is only fitting as the company is one of the earliest pioneers of the said industry. Recently, the company's Rouge plant located in Dearborn, Michigan celebrated its 100 years of production, a monumental feat that none can rival.
Reports claim that the plans for the 100 years celebration of the Rouge complex have been rolling for a couple of months now. The company even went as far as inviting various car clubs to join the celebration as part of its effort to show the storied history of all the cars that were manufactured on the complex. Among those that were manufactured in Ford's Rouge complex is the iconic Model A, the first mass-produced car which ignited the automobile revolution in the United States.
Ford's Rouge plant is now considered as the longest continuously operating auto manufacturing complex in the United States. While the complex itself has stood the test of time, some have also paid tribute to the dedicated men and women of the plant who have spent the majority of their lives in building some of Ford's most iconic products.
As a token of appreciation for the Rouge plant's current employees, they were treated to an impressive light show involving drones. This is the first of its kind to take place in the state of Michigan and more than 100 different drones were used in making various symbols and pictures that highlighted Ford's achievements.
The drone presentation was later followed by a tribute to Ford's culture and highlighted the company's past, present, and future endeavors. Among those that were presented were comments of some of the company's auto executives and also employees who have been working in the complex for more than 60 years.
Ford's Rouge complex has not only withstood the test of time. It has also survived two world wars and at least 18 economic recessions, according to people who have deep knowledge about the complex. The complex has built a wide range of products including tank engines, eagle boats, tractors, and what eventually became the F-150, the bestselling truck in the United States.
The Ford F-150 is the most dominant truck model in the American market for 41 years. At least one of these trucks are rolling out of the Ford Rouge complex every 53 seconds, a testament to the plant's overwhelming production capacity.
