Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant to close for up to 10 months for remodeling project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant is set to close for eight to 10 months for a massive remodeling project.

Representatives from the United Auto Workers union said the plant will close in December, possibly sooner, for the project.

Declining sales of the Escape SUV in recent years led to concerns about LAP's future. But in 2023, Ford committed to building an "all new" electric vehicle at the Louisville plant once the gas-powered Escape reaches the end of its life cycle this year.

"In 2023, Ford committed a vehicle for Louisville Assembly Plant. We will have more details to share later," a Ford spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday night.

It's not clear what Ford model will be built at LAP after the retool, which will switch the assembly lines from making the gas-powered Escape to all electric vehicles. Union leaders said some 2,300 production workers will be laid off during the transition.

"All of our skilled trades are going to be fully utilized, one of the main things we wanted guaranteed during a retool, especially of this nature," UAW Local 862 President Todd Dunn told WDRB. "I'm sure there will be certain key personnel that they'll need in there as well during the shutdown, but it's going to be a complete retooling of the plant."

Workers who are laid off are expected to be able to come back when construction is complete and will get unemployment during the shutdown. When the unemployment runs out, they will still get paid about 70% of their normal pay.

"We'll be on unemployment until unemployment runs out, and then it will be sub pay and that will be for them for the remainder of the shutdown," said Dunn. "So there will be a guaranteed portion of their pay, right, that they'll have through the benefits that were negotiated through the last collective bargaining agreement."

Dunn said while the union appreciates President Donald Trump's efforts to get auto manufacturing back in the U.S., there are concerns about what tariffs could do to vehicle sales.

LAP going electric in Louisville coincides with the Ford BlueOval SK EV battery plants being built in Hardin County.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said last month that Trump's plans to slow the United States' emphasis on the alternate vehicles won't slow down, shut down or stop the construction of the plants.

This story may be updated.

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