The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1946-03-02
Kaiser-Frazer Co. Transforming Willow Run

To one familiar with the Willow
Run Plant during war time years
when B-24 Liberator bombers were
rolling off the assembly lines at an
unprecedented rate. the place
would hardly seem recognizable to
day. The Kaiser-Frazer and Ora
ham Paige Corporations, working
in conjunction, are progressing
rapidly in their efforts to transform
the giant plant from bomber to. au-
tomobile production.
A former worker walking into
the plant today would be astonish-
ed to see how much the fabulous
former bomber plant resembles a
shell. Most OF the large super
structures, necessary in the con
struction of aircraft, have been
removed, leaving a vast emptiness
in upper areas Of the plant. Auto
motive production needs are rela-
lively near the ground.
Employing 1,4oo
The two corporations have in
their employ about 400 persons,
engaged in reyamping the plant;
getting the sales and service organ
izations set up, not only on a ma
tional but on an international
scale; engineering the new pro-
ducts, and preparing for actual
production. But, to the former
worker, accustomed to seeing from
10000 to 10000 fellow workers
milling through the plant, the cur
rent number would seem scanty.
New Miracle Coming
Indications, however, are that the
Willow Run plant will be the scene
OF another production miracle. In
the four months that the Kaiser.
Frazer Corporation has occupied
the building, renoyations have
reached the stage where company
production schedules call for 100
Frazers to be built during April,
and Rototillers, the new type me-
chanical farm hand, will start roll
ing this month.
When transformation is complet-
ed the plant will incorporate four
assembly lines, each $500 feet
long. Construction of these is
nearing completion. Three of the
lines will be used for Kaiser auto
mobiles and one for Frazer cars.
Company officials anticipate the
production Of Kaisers on ratio Of
between two and three 10 each
Frazer.
Giant ovens
Along these assembly lines, the
former worker would see giant
ovens for baking paint on the new
cars to a lasting surface.
Four of these ovens, one on each
line. are 100 feet long. Each auto
body passing through the oven will
emerge after one half hour with the
final paint gliftening. A tempera-
ture OF 275 degrees is maintained
in most of the ovens.
Company officials call the Willow
Run plant the most efficient ever
built for automobile production.
No interfloor transportation is
needed as the assembly lines are
all on the ground floor. The plant
is large enough so that the automo-
bile bodies will ultimately be built
there, eliminating inter-plant trans
fer.
Where once the giant bombers
waited to be moved, completed.
from the plant onto the apron OF
the airport at the south end OF the
building, large loading docks are
currently being built. Dual rail
road tracks split the loading docks,
running the width Of the plant. en-
abling hundreds Of cars to be load.
ed each day.
Storage facilities in the plant
will accommodate 400 cars, COM
pleted, prior TO shipment, when
the production goal Of 100000 cars
a year Is reached.
II the Kaiser Frazer Corporation
meets its production schedules.
within one years time, an auto