STANTON, Tenn.– The excitement over the announcement that the Ford Motor Company will build a new vehicle and battery manufacturing plant in West Tennessee certainly hasn’t worn off.
The multi-billion dollar investment will be located on what’s called the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County. The site off Highway 222 will be home to an electric vehicle and battery manufacturing plant, which will employ nearly 6,000 workers.
People who live in the small town of Stanton, Tennessee — population 438 or so — are hoping to see their community benefit from the huge project.
Longtime Stanton resident John Adams can’t wait for Ford to start construction on “Blue Oval City” in Haywood County.
“I’m a proud Ford owner. I’ve had this truck for quite a few years now,” Adams said, “It’s going to be a big shot in the arm for Stanton, for all these communities, all the county seats around.”
Adams and his wife, Linda have a passion for preserving Stanton’s history. He said it’s past time for the Megasite to have a tenant like Ford.
“For some reason the interest wasn’t here. I don’t know why, but the Megasite is a huge place and we’ve got a lot of people in this area in West Tennessee. It will benefit West Tennessee plus the state,” he said.
But Adams hopes all the benefits from the facility won’t be focused on larger communities like Memphis and Shelby County. He knows there needs to be more housing available to attract both construction and plant workers to Stanton.
“Most definitely. There’s a lot of cotton fields that need some houses and other things in it,” Adams said.
Updating Stanton’s infrastructure has been a topic of conversation ever since the Megasite became a reality.
“So, the only thing that would have to be enlarged is our water lines and sewer lines primarily. That would be the biggest thing,” Alderman Ward Smith said.
Smith said he and other town leaders are anxious to meet with Ford executives before construction gets underway.
Ford expects to begin production of all electric F-Series trucks and battery components in 2025.
