OAKVILLE, Ont. - Patricia Reid
is the new manager of Ford's Ontario Truck Plant (OTP), succeeding Jim Grow who has been
appointed Plant Manager, Wayne (Michigan) Stamping & Assembly Plant. Reid, her husband
and three sons, have moved to Oakville from the company's Kansas City (Missouri) Assembly
Plant. "I am acutely aware of the importance of
Ontario Truck Plant as a leading manufacturer of Canada's best-selling vehicle, the Ford
F-Series pickup. In fact, most new F-150 and F-250 pickups sold in Canada are made at
OTP," she said.
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Reid explained the initial challenge included today's
celebration event for the limited edition 2000 Harley-Davidson F-150 pickup. "OTP is
the exclusive, worldwide manufacturer of the Harley-Davidson F-150 and that has created a
lot of excitement and anticipation in the marketplace, and among the plant's 1,384
employees," she added. Reid, 44, holds a Bachelor of Science (Ceramic Engineering)
from Ohio State University. She was hired by Ford's Glass Division (now Visteon Automotive
Systems) as part of the Ford College Graduate program in 1979.
Her final Glass Division assignment was as quality control manager, Nashville Glass
Plant in 1994. That year a new career direction saw Reid transfer to Ford's Chicago
Assembly Plant as area manager trainee in 1994. In May 1998, Reid was appointed to her
most recent position of commercial manufacturing manager at Kansas City Assembly Plant.
A native of Egg Harbour, New Jersey, Reid will oversee all aspects of production at
OTP. The 270,000 m2 (3,000,000 ft2) facility in Oakville, Ont. produced 114,676 Ford
F-150, F-250 and SVT F-150 Lightning pickups in 1999, a 2.3 percent increase compared to
1998. OTP is one of seven assembly plants to produce the full-size F-Series.
F-Series has been Canada's best-selling truck for 34 years, best-selling nameplate for
six years and, in 1999, became the top-selling vehicle in the United States for the 18th
consecutive year. In addition, the F-150 was recently selected as a top environmental
choice by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), in its annual
listing of the most environmentally friendly vehicles.
The 4.2-litre, two-wheel-drive version of the F-150 was the only full-size truck to
make the ACEEE's "Greener Choices" list. All Ford F-Series pickups, as well as
Ford sport utility vehicles and Windstar minivan, meet Low Emission Vehicle (LEV)
standards. These vehicles emit anywhere from 40 to 50 percent fewer smog-forming emissions
than similar vehicles that do not meet LEV standards.
(May 1, 2000) |