Following a billion dollar investment and years of work, Michigan Central Station officially opened up just last summer, but Ford’s pet project is far from finished. Rather, the mobility hub just welcomed the electric vehicle-focused Ford Model e division to its renovated halls, and a new hotel is expected to join the same site in the near future, too. Now, Ford’s efforts to transform the once-debilitated Michigan Central Station into something special has earned it a very prestigious award, too.
That award is a spot on Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies List, specifically, in the category of the 10 Most Innovative Companies in Economic Development. The concept here is to highlight companies that aren’t just focused on achieving financial success, but also, finding “a deeper meaning and sense of purpose,” all while “working to cultivate innovation economies in their regions.”
“Michigan Central doesn’t just offer an architecturally striking space to incubate ideas; it provides a test bed,” Fast Company said of its selection. “The mix of startups, mobility innovations, and a multinational corporation in the form of Ford fosters a varied ecosystem of talent, while the campus mobility lab and Advanced Aerial Innovation Region designation allow startups to test and iterate on their ideas in real world situations. Fast-track permitting from the city is accelerating the path to innovation, with the goal of turning the once-busy station into a hub of a different sort.”
“As a leading company in the Economic Development category, Ford is proud of all the work the Michigan Central team has done to be recognized for their initiatives that create jobs and opportunities, drive investment and improve the overall economic landscape of Detroit,” the automaker said in a statement. “Bill Ford’s vision for Michigan Central was to create an open platform cultivating a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders that catalyze innovation and economic growth. The Michigan Central team and partners took his vision and made it a reality, establishing a fresh approach to collaboration that we believe will future-proof Michigan’s status as the epicenter of mobility solutions and be a talent magnet for the region.”
Comments
It is truly beautiful, Bill Ford deserves praise for what he accomplished.
But I digress – no one is minding the store over at the car company – models are being discontinued, cars are being built that don’t sell – quality is in the dumpster – and management is playing “politically correct” instead of listening to its customers. Time to stop playing with trains and start playing with cars.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Time to send Farley packing
THE single best thing that Bill Ford has ever done. And his legacy
Thought Ford was a vehicle company…not a building restoration company.