Speculation about a possible production transfer ended today as Ford announced that the next-generation Ford Escape will be built at the Louisville, KY assembly plant following a $600 million investment and the addition of 1,800 jobs.
The plant will be completely re-tooled and turned into a state-of-the-art facility to enable production of fuel-efficient models from the automaker's global vehicle platforms, a strategy known as ''One Ford.''
Ford temporarily moved production of the all-new 2011 Explorer from Louisville to Chicago. When the transformed Louisville assembly plant starts rolling again next year, it will operate on two shifts with approximately 2,900 employees. The 1,800 additional jobs will be filled through a combination of transferring employees from other facilities, re-activating workers on indefinite layoff at the time of launch and hiring new workers.
It's probably safe to assume that other Ford models will be manufactured in Kentucky down the line. The new technology and upgrades will actually allow the plant to build up to six different vehicles at the same time.
The plant will be completely re-tooled and turned into a state-of-the-art facility to enable production of fuel-efficient models from the automaker's global vehicle platforms, a strategy known as ''One Ford.''
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| Photo: Ford |
Ford temporarily moved production of the all-new 2011 Explorer from Louisville to Chicago. When the transformed Louisville assembly plant starts rolling again next year, it will operate on two shifts with approximately 2,900 employees. The 1,800 additional jobs will be filled through a combination of transferring employees from other facilities, re-activating workers on indefinite layoff at the time of launch and hiring new workers.
It's probably safe to assume that other Ford models will be manufactured in Kentucky down the line. The new technology and upgrades will actually allow the plant to build up to six different vehicles at the same time.