MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ) - Ford Motor Company announced a $3.7 billion investment on Thursday morning spanning across three states that will go into upgrading plants to deliver electric vehicles and adding over 6,000 new jobs in addition to converting thousands of temporary jobs into full time positions.
Ford’s announcement at the Mackinac Policy Conference “strengthens our commitment to our home state,” with officials stating $2 billion of that investment will create nearly 2,000 jobs in Michigan at three local assembly plants.
The company plans to boost production of the all-new F-150 Lightning electric truck to 150,000 per year at Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn as well as produce an all-new Ranger pickup at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne and an all-new Mustang coupe at Flat Rock Assembly Plant.
“Ford is America’s Number 1 employer of hourly autoworkers, and this investment only deepens our commitment to building great new vehicles – from an all-new Mustang to new EVs – right here in the U.S. in partnership with the UAW,” said Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford said in a press release. “I am proud that we are investing in the Midwest and taking real action to provide better benefits and working conditions for our workers on the plant floor.”
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The other two states benefiting from Ford’s investment are Missouri and Ohio.
A $1.5 billion investment was awarded to the Ohio Assembly Plant with the addition of 1,800 union jobs, aimed to assemble an all-new EV commercial vehicle in 2025. Ford will also add an additional 90 jobs and $100 million investment between Lima Engine and Sharonville Transmission plants.
Ford’s investment in Missouri will total $95 million and the company will create 1,100 union jobs for a third shift at Kansas City Assembly Plant; the investment is set to increase production of the Transit, America’s best-selling commercial van, and the all-new E-Transit electric van.
Michigan has been home to Ford since its founding in 1903, and with today’s announcement, Ford is deepening its commitment to the state. For almost a decade, the company said it has invested almost $10 billion into Michigan and has created or retained over 10,000 jobs.
Ford is also amidst refurbishing Michigan Central Station and is in development of a new Ford Research and Engineering campus in Dearborn. The company also created Ford's Ion Park in Romulus among many other contributions.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was present at the announcement on Mackinac Island and said she was thrilled about Ford's plans to invest further into Michigan.
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“I am proud that we came together to deliver economic development legislation that has helped us land huge projects creating thousands of jobs," Whitmer said on Thursday. "With this announcement, Michigan has added nearly 25,000 auto jobs since I took office, and we continue to lead the future of mobility and electrification. Let’s continue in this spirit of collaboration to keep growing our economy, creating jobs, and advancing the future of mobility and electrification.”
Ford said they plan to invest another $1 billion over the next five years to improve the workplace experience for their manufacturing employees and address top wants and needs of employees. Improvement could include healthy food, new EV chargers in plant parking lots, better lighting in parking lots and more.
The automaker made the announcement a year ahead of 2023 UAW contract negotiations and are part of Ford's growth strategy. Ford expects the investments in Mich., Ohio and Missouri to indirectly add over 74,000 non-Ford jobs nationally.
UAW and Ford said healthcare benefits will be immediately available to all hourly employees and the investments will turn 3,000 temporary employees to permanent full-time status sooner than originally planned.
“We’re investing in American jobs and our employees to build a new generation of incredible Ford vehicles and continue our Ford+ transformation,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley.
“Transforming our company for the next era of American manufacturing requires new ways of working, and together with UAW leadership, we are leading the way and moving fast to make improvements to benefits for our hourly employees and working conditions for our factory teams."
For more on the Mackinac Policy Conference, you can watch LIVE VIDEO STREAM here,
