Ford Motor Company's Kentucky Truck Plant will be going dark for two whole weeks starting April 26th, reported WDRB. In addition, there will be no overtime shifts in May.
The closure comes as the automaker struggles to procure computer chips for its vehicles.
John Savona, Ford's vice president of manufacturing and labor affairs, said in a memo:
"The global semiconductor chip shortage is continuing to affect our plants in North America. We are working hard to build as many vehicles as we can for our dealers and customers, even as we work to source additional parts."
This marks the first time that Ford’s larger Louisville plant will suffer this kind of full shutdown that is related to the chip shortage. The shortage is affecting automakers all across the globe.
Ford said that the shortage, which has reduced the vehicle output, will likely cost the company about $1 billion to $2.5 billion in pre-tax profits during the first half of 2021.
The Kentucky Truck Plant will be down the weeks of April 26 and May 3, and employees will not work "super shifts," or weekend overtime shifts, the weeks of May 8, May 16, May 22, May 29 and May 31.
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