Willow Run, Aircraft manufacturing complex in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, United States
Willow Run is a former aircraft manufacturing complex in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, originally built for military production and now partially repurposed. The facility includes long assembly halls with overhead crane systems and wide floor spaces designed to move large airframes through different stages of construction.
Ford built the plant starting in 1941 to produce heavy bombers and reached peak output in 1944 with one completed aircraft every hour. After the war, the facility was sold to General Motors and served different manufacturing purposes until its closure.
The plant employed thousands of women workers during World War II, making it a symbol of industrial transformation and workforce diversity.
The complex sits east of Ypsilanti Township and can be viewed from the outside, while some sections remain in use for aviation and storage purposes. Part of the site operates as a cargo airport with limited public access.
The manufacturing methods developed here reduced the production cost of each bomber by almost half within two years. The plant employed over 40000 workers at its peak, many of them women entering industrial jobs for the first time.
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