Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Co. is laying off 300 workers at its Romeo Engine Plant near Detroit because of a drop in demand for its V-8 engines, a company spokeswoman said. Workers were told about the layoffs several weeks ago. The plant employs 1,075 people, including 950 hourly manufacturing workers. The plant makes Ford's 4.6-liter and 5.4-liter V-8 engines for trucks and large sedans. Ford saw an 18 percent decline in its truck and sport utility vehicle sales in the first seven months of this year. Buyers have been shifting to smaller vehicles with more fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines.