Last week, SK On and Ford announced they would dissolve the joint venture they formed in 2022, known as BlueOval SK. Along with this decision, they plan to transform the BlueOval SK Battery Park plant in Kentucky into a facility that produces batteries for energy and artificial intelligence data centers, utility companies, energy storage, and other applications beyond vehicles. Ford decided to lay off all 1,514 workers at the plant, leaving employees in a state of shock.
“We liken it to a divorce,” Sandie Yarborough, a cell assembly worker at BlueOval SK Battery Park, told the Courier-Journal. “Ford and SK are getting a divorce, and we are the angry, sad kids. A lot of people wanted to retire from there. That was their last stop. A lot of people don’t know what they’re going to do, because they really, truly believed in BlueOval.”
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“I saw a future there,” added Amber Levay, who joined the joint venture as a production operator, and whose husband also started working there earlier this year. “Both of us are out of a job. The sudden termination notice right before Christmas feels like a real slap in the face.”
Just this past August, the BlueOval SK Battery Park site began producing batteries for the Ford F-150 Lightning, marking a major milestone for the joint venture. However, as Ford Authority previously reported, workers will continue receiving paychecks and benefits for the next 60 days. Employees can also apply for positions at the revamped site, expected to open in 2027, where Ford plans to hire 2,100 workers.
“Right now, our primary focus is helping the affected BlueOval employees find new jobs,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. “Team Kentucky is coordinating with company and community leaders to directly support these employees, in addition to planning job fairs and creating a website offering resources.”
Kentucky officials are also renegotiating the terms of the state’s incentive agreement with Ford.
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