Ford is discontinuing its compact pickup business and its last vehicle is earmarked for Orkin, which has a fleet of about 5,000 Rangers.
Orkin Service Vehicle will be Last Ford Ranger to Roll Off Assembly Line
The last Ford Ranger for the U.S. market is expected to roll off the line by Dec. 19, marking the end of an era with more than 6.6 million sold over 29 years. With the end of production and closing of the 86-year-old Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Ford Motor Co. will be out of the compact pickup business in North America.
The last Ranger off the line is earmarked for Orkin, which has a fleet of about 5,000 Rangers. The company buys as many as 2,000 new trucks annually.
"When Ford officially told us they would not be producing the Ranger anymore in the U.S., we asked if we could have the last one," said Paul Youngpeter, fleet director for Rollins Inc. of Atlanta, Orkin's parent company.
The Ranger has been the mainstay of the Orkin fleet for more than 15 years because of its reliability, affordability and access to the bed, which Orkin outfits with a top or a toolbox. Some get pumps and spray rigs as well.
Orkin has about 500 F-150s, but its size "presents a bit of a challenge," Youngpeter said.
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Source: www.twincities.com