President Trump to Visit Ford PPE Plant in Ypsilanti Township on Thursday

President Donald Trump on Thursday will visit Ford Motor Co.’s Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti Township as part of a national tour to recognize companies producing medical devices and personal protection equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ford's Rawsonville Components Plant
President Donald Trump will visit Ford’s Rawsonville Components Plant as part of a tour to recognize companies manufacturing equipment to fight COVID-19. // Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

President Donald Trump on Thursday will visit Ford Motor Co.’s Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti Township as part of a national tour to recognize companies producing medical devices and personal protection equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rawsonville facility, which usually makes ignition coils, carbon canisters, and fuel pumps for F-150 pickups, currently is producing ventilators in conjunction with GE Healthcare with paid UAW member volunteers doing the work. The automaker said in a statement that it hopes to help the federal government, by July 4, reach its goal of manufacturing 100,000 ventilators in 100 days as part of a $336 million contract. The Ford-GE collaboration is expected to produce 50,000 ventilators.

“We’re proud to assemble more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker and welcome Thursday’s visit as part of Ford’s longstanding history of hosting sitting presidents and senior government leaders,” Ford said in a news release.

Full details for the visit still are being finalized as neither White House officials nor Ford were able to confirm what time the visit would take place or detail which automaker personnel would participate.

“President Trump is expected to discuss the collaboration between two American companies, Ford and General Electric, who have stepped up to make ventilators and PPE in a time of need – exemplifying the power of the American spirit and ingenuity at work,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere in a statement. “Ford has a rich history stepping up in a time of crisis. During WWII, their Willow Run assembly plant was producing one B-24 per hour.”

The president’s last visit to Michigan came on Jan. 30 when he toured a Dana Inc. plant in Warren.