White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-07-28
5000 Men Employed In
Seattle Ford Plant


The new Ford plant, which was
opened Monday in Seattle, has capa-
city OF 300 cars and trucks daily and
will employ 2,400 men at peak opera
ton, says Fred Gilfuly, local dealer for
Ford cars 1t is the third such plant on
the Pacific Coast built and put into
production by the Ford company the
last two years. The others are at Long
Beach, near Los Angeles, and at Rich
mond, opposite the bay from San
Francisco.
Built on the waterfront, like most of
the new Ford plants recently opened
in many parts of the world, the Sc
attic factory is located on dredged
Slip connecting with the DuWamish
waterway where both rail and water
transportation are available. Ford
ocean vessels bringing parts manu-
featured at the main Ford works at
Dearborn, Michigan, tie up at a dock
and unload directly into the plant
The factory is also served by the
Oregon and Washington Railroad and
Navigation company which connects
with the Great Northern, the Northern
Pacific and the Chicago, Milwaukee,
st. Paul and Pacific railroads Rail
road facilities were constructed with
a view to prompt and economical
handling of materials. With rail and
water transportation supplementing
each other, substantial savings are eff
fected
The manufacturing plant, built of
structural steel, concrete and brick, is
$50 feet long and 800 feet wide, with
second story 100 feet wide given
over to body manufacture and the
plant offices, running the length OF
the plant. A covered craneWay 500 feet
long and 100 feet wide runs the length
of the dock and adjoins the manufact-
uring building on the south. A boiler
house, providing steam for heating and
other purposes and housing other sell
vice equipment, integral with the plant
while an oil and paint house is located
near the southeast corner of the main
building
The office lobby and showrooms for
cars and trucks are located at the
northeast corner of the building. The
offices are on the second floor above
the lobby.
In the design and construction of
the plant manufacturing efficiency and
economy were combined with healthful
working conditions. From the time a
Ford steamship ties up at the dock
or a railroad car is spotted in position
on the depressed track alongside a
loading dock running the full length
of the west end of the plant until a
Ford car is driven off the final as
sembly line, there are no unnecessary
steps, no heavy manual labor that can
be accomplished better by cranes,
conveyors or machines.
flood OF softened daylight supple
mented by more than 300 Cooper
Hewitt lights Eliminates every portion
of the plant scientific system oil
ventilation also contributes to pleasant
working conditions. Parking space Is
provided for 500 employees cars
The final assembly line runs along
the east side of the plant opposite the
loading dock. Between the two are
grouped all the manufacturing and
minor assembly operations leading to
the final assembly line. Bodies con-
structed on the second floor are carried
by conveyor to the point where they
are mounted on the assembled chassis.
The plant machinery and equipment
is most modern Miles of conveyors
are operated through the plant, moving
parts and materials TO points where
they are required.