Ford

Year Founded: 1903
Headquarter Location: Michigan, US
Industry: Automotive
Website: https://www.ford.co.uk/
Company Profile:
Founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company is a global automotive manufacturer known for pioneering mass production through the assembly line. In the UK, Ford played a major role in vehicle manufacturing, particularly at its Southampton plant in Swaythling. Originally built in 1939 as a wartime “shadow factory” producing aircraft components such as parts for the Supermarine Spitfire, the site later became a key Ford facility after its acquisition in 1953. From 1972, the plant became the main Western European production centre for the iconic Ford Transit, employing around 4,500 workers at its peak and producing up to 75,000 vehicles annually. Production ended in July 2013 as part of Ford’s global restructuring, marking the end of a century of Ford vehicle assembly in the UK.

Ford Motor Company undertook a major reorganisation of its UK operations, thus instructing a number of decommissioning and demolition projects including its Southampton Assembly plant and the demolition of the former Ford Engine Plant Factory at Bridgend, South Wales. Hughes and Salvidge was appointed as the principal contractor through a competitive tender process for each project.

Assembly Plant - Southampton, UK.

Following a major reorganisation of the company’s UK operations, phased decommissioning and demolition of its Southampton assembly plant was instructed. Hughes and Salvidge was appointed as the principal contractor through a competitive tender process.

The main works consisted of:
▪ Removal of all asbestos containing materials from the buildings and structures
▪ Comprehensive soft strip of the buildings
▪ Removal of all existing structures, together with the crushing of all resultant
brickwork, concrete and hard inert arisings
▪ Disposal of waste materials arising from the works.
The project was located adjacent to the M27 motorway, within 500 metres of Southampton
Airport and bound by residential properties on three sides. Areas of the site also remained
live with Ford operations throughout the duration of the works.

Hughes and Salvidge were awarded this project through a competitive tender process. Our
ability to offer Ford the complete solution - ‘demolish, crush, recycle’ entirely in-house,
provided heightened environmental benefits and also represented a significant cost saving
and added value to our client.

Ford Engine Plant - Bridgend, South Wales

Hughes and Salvidge won a competitive tender process to be awarded the contract to demolish the former Ford Engine Plant Factory at Bridgend, South Wales. This is a current ongoing project for us, with expected completion in mid-2026.

Our Scope of Works included:

• Professional Lead-In
• Site Establishment
• Soft Strip to Offices
• Removal of Asbestos
• Drain Down
• COSHH Sweep through all Buildings
• Demolition of water treatment area to allow remediation teams access
• Demolition of main factory
• Demolition of offices
• Removal of slabs and foundations
• Removal of significant area of basements across the footprint of the site
• Subsequent Earthworks and Civil Engineering Associated with Basement Removals
• Backfill and compact site to agreed regime

Asbestos containing materials were identified within the asbestos surveys completed. All asbestos removal works were completed by our licenced asbestos removal division prior to any structural demolition of buildings.

There was a requirement to keep some live power on site for the first 3-4 months of site works to maintain power to other live buildings while the diversion was being arranged.

There were ecology restrictions with the local waterways to be considered.

Remediation works in hot spots were planned and carried out. These were factored into the planning and sequencing of works.