Michigan Central Station's new Ford workers
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Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer for Ford Model e, speaks at Michigan Central. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
Ford moved hundreds of employees from two core departments into the renovated Michigan Central Station on Tuesday, marking another chapter in the once-abandoned train depot's heralded resurrection.
Why it matters: This was a day that once seemed improbable, if not impossible: Michigan Central's transformation into a stunning work environment that Ford depends on to attract new talent as it navigates the turbulent transition to electric vehicles.
What they're saying: "What this means to the city to have this kind of Ford presence is enormous," Mayor Mike Duggan said at a brief ceremony inside the train depot. "We want to welcome you here and be part of the community."
- Duggan emphasized Ford's respect for the surrounding neighborhood, adding that the city is "making sure the people who are here before don't get pushed out."
Catch up quick: The depot opened in 1913 and was designed by the same architects behind New York's Grand Central Terminal. During its peak in the 1940s, more than 4,000 passengers used it daily.
- As the rise of the automobile made train travel less desirable, Michigan Central needed help to sustain itself and closed in 1988.
- Ford bought Michigan Central in 2018 to become part of the automaker's new Corktown hub for transportation and electric vehicle innovation.
Driving the news: Hundreds of employees from Ford's Model e and Integrated Services teams will occupy two floors of the train depot.
- Model e is the company's electric vehicle business unit. Integrated Services focuses on ways vehicles can make life easier, outside of driving, through revenue-driving subscription services and other features.
- Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer for Ford Model e, tells Axios that about 1,000 Ford employees, up from about 500 before Tuesday's move, will be working at the Michigan Central campus.
Zoom in: Jovina Young, a five-year Ford employee on the Integrated Services team, will now work at Michigan Central. She used to work out of the automaker's Dearborn headquarters.
- Arriving to work at Michigan Central is "just a very different vibe," Young tells Axios.
- "I think it gets us to feel very inspired to do as best we can and think differently, and think out of the box to further help the community," Young says.
What's next: Michigan Central CEO Joshua Sirefman told the crowd gathered for Tuesday's move that Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts, the depot's first food tenant, is expected to open in the next few weeks.