Ford started resuming production and operations in the United States on May 18, 2020, including all of factories that produce commercial vehicles. Flat Rock Assembly, which builds Ford Mustang, Shelby GT350 & 350R, and Lincoln Continental, restarts May 26.

The company has implemented robust safety and care measures globally to help support a safe and healthy environment for the company’s workforce, including health assessment measures, personal protective equipment and facility modifications to increase social distancing.

“We’ve implemented robust safety and care measures across all our production facilities to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our employees,” said John Ruppert, Ford general manager, commercial and government sales. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done during the pandemic to provide PPE to front-line workers fighting against COVID-19, and now we are ready to help get businesses moving again by building the industry’s best-selling line of commercial vehicles.”

Ford also recently released a video sharing the current state of the Ford North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations (NAFLRO). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford has been producing face shields, ventilators, reusable gowns, and other PPE and support systems to help the country through this pandemic.

Ford shut down its operations March 18 along with several other automakers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ford employs more hourly workers in the United States than any other automaker and assembles more vehicles in America than any other automaker, according to a company spokesperson. Last year, Ford assembled approximately 492,000 more vehicles in the U.S. than the next highest-producing automaker. The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker also exports more vehicles from the U.S. than any other automaker, which helps it stay globally competitive. Ford also sells more commercial vehicles in the US than any other manufacturer and has been America’s commercial vehicle leader for 35 years straight.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ford has focused on the safety and health of its workforce, implementing robust safety and care protocols, including health assessment measures, personal protective equipment provisions and facility modifications to increase social distancing at all its facilities.

Editor's Note: Updated with additional info on commercial vehicle production May 19.