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Published on January 24, 2025
Ford Invests $9 Million in West Tennessee Communities Near BlueOval CitySource: Wikipedia/Arctyx creative, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ford Motor Company has stepped up with a significant investment aimed at bolstering the community surrounding its BlueOval City in Stanton, West Tennessee. As reported by Action News 5, a hefty sum of $9 million is being directed towards various initiatives in Haywood County in what's been named the Ford Good Neighbor Plan. According to Ford, this move underscores their dedication to shared progress and wealth, particularly for residents in the proximity of the BlueOval City project.

Among the targeted areas, the community stands to benefit from enhancements including the reconstruction of community centers, rent and utility aid, legal services support, and expanded local transportation options. Gabby Bruno, Director of Community Relations for Ford, underscored the company's commitment to community engagement, stating in a statement obtained by Local Memphis, "The fact we're doubling down with our community engagement efforts I think speaks volumes about how important this facility is to our future as Ford motor company, regardless of who's in office."

Additionally, Ford is showing care for the developmental and recreational aspects of community life, with investments going into a new childcare center, various youth programs, and outdoor facilities tailored for farmers markets. Educational empowerments include laptops for local GED graduates and scholarships catered to those within reach of BlueOval City. These endeavors are part of a larger vision, as outlined in an interview with Bruno by The Jackson Sun, where she emphasized the need for genuine community input and collaboration in shaping these efforts.

The overall investment reflects Ford's largest corporate contribution to rural West Tennessee, with ambitions not just dwelling in economic growth but also in legacy and social vitality. In an act celebrating this community spirit – Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls remarked in an interview with Action News 5, "What we have here is an opportunity that other communities don't have, This is history in the making." Indeed, with the additional symbolism of commissioning a seven-foot statue of Tina Turner, these initiatives intertwine Ford's future with the region's cultural identity, while embracing the area's existing heritage and collective future.

Memphis-Real Estate & Development