Webasto May Open Second Facility to Help Meet Bronco Hard Top Demand

[Raptor911]

I want the MIC top anyway:

- Lighter
- Less expensive
- easier to care for

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[Pattytester]

Wish this article was from last year….

 

[AcesandEights]

Why open a second plant if you can't find workers for the first plant. That's marketing double-speak. We're going to expand the facility where we can only make half of the products. We have half the necessary people in twice the necessary space. Wow, I feel so much better.

They built the plant in 2019, to build tops in 2021, and they still don't have enough workers. Huh.

 

[AcesandEights]

Why are there not soft top delays, if Webasto can't find workers?

 

[airishfan]

So what is Ford doing to make customers happy because they have not done nothing to make me happy .There is all these companies and business that can't find people to work but the government still giving out of work people money .Riverside CA had to cancel one of its two fireworks shows on Sunday because the business that was hired to do it could not find enough workers to do both shows , Maybe Joe Biden needs to stop giving out money .

 

[airishfan]

Why open a second plant if you can't find workers for the first plant. That's marketing double-speak. We're going to expand the facility where we can only make half of the products. We have half the necessary people in twice the necessary space. Wow, I feel so much better.

They built the plant in 2019, to build tops in 2021, and they still don't have enough workers. Huh.

good point maybe they hope that the government well stop giving out money and people well stop being lazy and go back to work.

 

[Beach_Bum]

Why are there not soft top delays, if Webasto can't find workers?

Because there is no shortage of wrinkled trash bags?

 

[Iron Oxide]

How long do you think it would take for another company to design the top, test it, and then put together the tooling to make the top and then setup an organization and build a factory and hire the workers to provide the tops to Ford? How much of an investment would be needed do you think?

Exactly what I was gonna say. Even if this mythical company started today with a blank check and the absolute best in the business molding engineers and sourcing gurus they still wouldn't catch up to Webasto fixing their issues. Every armchair tooling engineer on here loves to bag on Webasto (sometimes rightly so) but you can only cut steel so fast.

 

[Red Mountain Pass]

This smells like Ford chose the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Contract (Webassto) with no back up plan. It obviously blew up in their face.

The scary part is Webassto is still on the hook to make the painted hard tops.

 

[MN_OuterBanks]

Excellent. Then they can suck at two facilities instead of one.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

“another facility could be in the works”

Could be….as in maybe, but not really sure…..

WTF? If Web-kick me in the face-asto can’t find workers then PAY THEM MORE!!

I’m sitting in purgatory now, known around here as the local DMV attempting to get plates for my “in between” vehicle. Killing’ me smalls.

 

[Spooled]

TL;DR - It's an ongoing shitshow.

 

[BigSki150]

How long do you think it would take for another company to design the top, test it, and then put together the tooling to make the top and then setup an organization and build a factory and hire the workers to provide the tops to Ford? How much of an investment would be needed do you think?

Are the tops proprietary of Ford? If yes, screw Webasto and get another supplier.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

meanwhile us mythical 2-door folks are SOL for options.....

Iit's been reported by our most reliable of insiders that 2drs are in much MUCH better shape than 4dr MIC's. Especially if you are an early res holder.

If you have Lux, tow, or Squatch all bets are off.

 

[jaspercasidino]

I haven't found any solid info on it, but have heard grumblings that 2-doors can't be sold with factory soft top (just like Wrangler) due to some federal regs. The soft tops are an aftermarket thing.

Jeep 2DR is standard soft top with $1,495 optional hardtop. I think this is just a Ford product offering thing.

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