Fred and Joan Chapman pose for a picture in front of their house near a land that will be home to a proposed Ford Motor Co electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall Township, Michigan, U.S., June 28, 2023. They have rejected several offers for their home and oppose the project. REUTERS/Ben Klayman, which is planning to build a sprawling factory on the outskirts of this town to make batteries for electric cars and which promises to employ 2,500 people.
Manufacturing now accounts for nearly 13 million U.S. jobs, the highest since 2008. But that belies the fact that factory work is increasingly a niche slice of the U.S. job market, accounting for just over 8.3% of jobs as of June, the lowest share ever. Not everyone wants giant projects, even in places that would seem ripe for a factory renaissance. Soon after Ford's project was announced in February, worried residents jammed town meetings, demanding more details on what was coming. Signs popped up on roadsides that plead: “Stop the Megasite.”
Critics also balk at the involvement of a Chinese company in the project: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd To be sure, residents often fight big developments that threaten to alter the character of their communities. In some cases, they win, as happened when New York City residents rebuffed Amazon Inc’sThe more common outcome is delays, as local opponents mount legal challenges and throw up other roadblocks. In Marshall, residents petitioned to hold a referendum on the project, gathering over 800 signatures in a city of 6,800. That effort is stalled, however, after the town rejected the petition.
Sue Damron, owner of Schuler’s Restaurant and Pub in downtown Marshall, supports the project. She believes factory workers will move to Marshall to work for Ford. “The people coming to work for Ford have spouses and children,” she said. “They will give me an employee base to add to my small business.”