ABSTRACT
In many ways, the Ford assembly plants in Hermosillo, Sonora, and Wayne, Michigan, are remarkably similar. Both build the same car—the Escort until 1999, now the Focus. Both use nearly identical plant and equipment, featuring Kawasaki robots and Komatsu stamping presses. Both borrow selectively from a “lean production” model that includes work teams and just-in-time inventory. In both factories, union workers produce cars with competitive ratings for quality and cost (Babson 2000).
