The Factory - Documentary Film

"The Factory" is a documentary that focuses on the importance of factory work to 20th Century small-town America by detailing the rise and fall of what the locals called “The Factory” on South M-66 in Ionia, MI. As perhaps the most significant employer on the Grand River between Lansing and Grand Rapids, this facility made world-renowned reed and wicker furniture, fabricated jeep seats and tarpaulins for the American war effort in WWII, manufactured the famous ”Woody” station wagon, and assembled legendary “muscle cars” such as the Shelby Cobra and Corvette Stingray. Sadly, like so many older manufacturing facilities, “The Factory” was demolished in the 1990’s after a run of almost a century. Editing, sound, and production assistance provided by students from the Television and Digital Media Production program at Ferris State University.