It has been 70 years of the iconic Glass House, but Ford Motor Company is about to close this historic chapter by making the leap to a new headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. This is something more than a simple change of building, it is a symbol of transformation, Ford is heading toward the future and innovation of the automobile industry and this is its way of making the leap.
A new building with more than 2 million square feet, offices, design studios and wellness spaces… The new headquarters aims to be a meeting point where there is technology, tradition, engineering and modernity, Ford wants it all! In addition, this move comes in parallel with General Motors’ decision to also relocate its headquarters, the change in the automotive capital of the United States has arrived, what will happen with Detroit?
From Glass House to a 21st century campus
The current headquarters was inaugurated in 1956 and is known as “The Glass House,” a true emblem of Ford, a classic. With the address at 1 American Road, it became one of the largest office buildings occupied by a single company!
But the new building surpasses it by far… They are 5 kilometers apart but it is a collaborative space where everyone will be gathered with the same goal: to return Ford to the podium of the best brands. For this, there will be 14,000 employees working in its facilities, incredible.
New Ford Headquarters
One of the trending topics now is what the new headquarters will be like. Well, here is a little spoiler, it will be called “Ford World Headquarters,” it will not be just an office building. As we told you, they want to combine absolutely everything in that space, productivity and well-being. Six design studios, more than 300 technological meeting rooms, a 15,000-square-meter dining hall, rest rooms and spaces for workers who are mothers (we love this idea!). They want the headquarters to be a place that inspires as much as the vehicles designed there.
Legacy in Dearborn
Dearborn and Ford are practically inseparable. Henry Ford himself was born a few kilometers from the current headquarters, and that fills it with nostalgia. The city has witnessed some of the brand’s most important and emblematic launches, such as the Mustang, the Thunderbird or the successful F-series trucks.
The new location did not want to break this bond, it wanted to reinforce it even more by being built on the grounds of the old Product Development Center, inaugurated in 1953 with the presence of then-President Dwight Eisenhower, and that is what they have done.
The competition
It is very curious because Ford’s change comes when General Motors is also preparing its own move, leaving its headquarters by the river to go a little further into the city of Detroit.
What is happening? The big automakers are seeking to modernize their headquarters so that they represent their technological and sustainability ambitions, leaving behind the traditional structures that marked the second half of the 20th century.
Ford wants to make a statement and mark a before and after in its company, the step is not only physical (it is only 5 kilometers) but they want to merge tradition and innovation and rise from their own ashes (especially now that they are making news with so many recalls and problems in their vehicles). The Glass House will forever remain in everyone’s memory as a symbol of the past, but it is time to modernize, and 5 km beyond it new adventures await them!