<P> Norfolk Assembly was a Ford manufacturing plant that opened on April 20, 1925 on the Elizabeth River, near downtown Norfolk, Virginia--closing in 2007 . </P> <P> Modeled after the River Rouge Plant, the facility eventually included a power house, water treatment plant, barber shop, safety - shoe store, restaurant, fitness center and TV studio . At the time of its closure, Ford employed more than 2,600 people at the 2,800,000 - square - foot (260,000 m) facility . Ford invested $375 million at the plant in 2002 to upgrade it for production of the redesigned eleventh generation 2004 F - 150 . </P>

When did the ford plant in norfolk close