Ford hopes to reopen Ohio Assembly, other plants April 14 (UPDATED)

Ford Motor Co. is reassessing when it will restart production at its North American facilities, including Lorain County's Ohio Assembly Plant. In a statement released Tuesday, Ford's president of North America Kumar Galhotra said the automaker no longer expects to restart its plants on March 30 as originally hoped, largely as a result of government orders to stay home. "We are assessing various options and working with union leaders — including the United Auto Workers and Unifor — on the optimal timing for resuming vehicle production, keeping the well-being of our workforce top of mind," Galhotra said. The company says it's aiming to reopen its factory in Hermosillo, Mexico, on April 6, followed by its Dearborn truck plant, Kentucky truck plant, the Ohio Assembly Plant and the Transit van line at the Kansas City plant on April 14. The company also wants to reopen parts-making plants to feed the assembly factories on the same day. Ford says in a prepared statement that it will introduce additional safety measures to protect workers, but said it would give details later. Union spokesman Brian Rothenberg said Thursday that the UAW is reviewing Ford's announcement "with great concern and caution." The footprint of the Ohio Assembly Plant extends into Avon Lake, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake. The three communities have an agreement in which the income tax from employees is split among them based on which municipality the employees work in. Sheffield Mayor John Hunter said the financial impact of the closure will be realized on the first day of April, when the village gets its income tax. He said the village receives the funds on the first and 15th days of each month. "The biggest impact will be in Avon Lake," he said, where the largest number of employees work. Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka said on Tuesday that the ripple effects of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent business shutdowns could be detrimental to the car-buying market for a while, as people who have been hurt financially will think about more essential purchases before considering a new vehicle. "We are seeing large numbers of people laid off, and that means fewer people are going to buy cars," Zilka said. For Sheffield Lake Mayor Dennis Bring, the extended closure does not sting quite as much because not many Ford employees work in the Sheffield Lake section of the facility. Still, he realizes the number of people who are affected by the plant and does not take it lightly. "When they make this decision, it is going to affect not only our community, but the other two communities, plus all our workers," he said. Bring said the mayors have had discussions with a Ford representative about what they can do to keep things moving forward, but there is no indication for now of when the plant could be restarted. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.