Ford has begun production at its BlueOval Battery Park, according to the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA), which hailed the news in a statement Wednesday.
The company will produce electric vehicle batteries at the plant. The massive new campus drew opposition from some residents, who have challenged it in court, so far unsuccessfully.
MAEDA describes the facility as a boon for the area. It said more than 70 percent of the roughly 500 workers currently employed at the plant come from Albion, Battle Creek and Marshall.
"Dozens of homes are under construction and hundreds more are planned over the next few years. More than 1,300 new housing units have been proposed or completed since Ford announced the project in Marshall in early 2023," MAEDA said.
Ford said its eventual goal is to employ 1700 people at the Battery Park.
