Ford Motor Company is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its groundbreaking Dearborn Truck Plant. As the centerpiece of Ford Rouge Center, Dearborn Truck Plant was conceived as Ford’s vision of sustainable manufacturing and has served as flagship for the company’s next generation of lean and flexible plants.

Dearborn Truck Plant has produced more than 2.6 million F-150 trucks since it opened in May 2004. Once home to the iconic Ford Mustang, the plant now has more than 3,600 employees on a three-crew operating pattern producing 1,200 F-150 trucks daily. Later this year, production of the all-new 2015 Ford F-150 gets under way at Dearborn Truck Plant.

F-150 is part of the Ford F-Series lineup, America’s best-selling truck for 37 consecutive years and America’s best-selling vehicle for 32 years.

“Dearborn Truck Plant has set world-class standards for efficiency and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes,” said Bruce Hettle, vice president, Ford North America manufacturing. “There is no better way to celebrate 10 years of top-notch manufacturing than gearing up to build the all-new F-150. The hardworking men and women of Dearborn Truck are excited to bring this Built Ford Tough truck to our customers.”

The plant is capable of building up to nine models on three vehicle platforms. It has close to 350 robots between its body and paint shops and final assembly area. This summer, the body shop will undergo a complete renovation in preparation to build the all-new F-150.

Living roof and sustainability efforts

Once noted as the world’s largest living roof by Guinness World Records®, and now the largest in North America, Dearborn Truck Plant’s roof has flourished as an environmental touchstone since its installation in 2004. At 10.4 acres, the living roof sustains a diverse ecosystem, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduces energy use. It is part of an innovative storm water management system that reduces runoff and costs two-thirds less than a conventional water treatment process.

The facility maximizes the use of natural light and ventilation to reduce the financial and environmental costs of heating, cooling and powering the plant. The paint shop uses water-based primer and base coat systems that minimize harmful volatile emissions while also maintaining paint quality.

Efforts are made to use as much recyclable packaging as possible to reduce the volume of waste. A total waste management system incorporating transportation, disposal, recycling, reclamation and reuse of plant waste is in operation at Dearborn Truck Plant. To date, the facility has recycled more than 20 million pounds of cardboard, paper, plastic and wood.