Remember last month, when the reports came out that Ford's Kansas
City Assembly Plant would be getting a new vehicle to produce? The
deal is finally done.
Ford announced Tuesday that it will invest $400 million in upgrades for
the plant to accommodate production of the new vehicle line. And here's
a biggie: 3,750 full-time employees will get to keep their jobs. To quote "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, oh, hell yeah!
The $400 million will go toward putting in a new body shop, new tools
and other upgrades.
"This investment and promise of a new vehicle to be built in Kansas City
reinforces Ford's commitment to U.S. manufacturing and American jobs,"
said Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, in a statement.
"Investing in our plants, products and people is critical to Ford's
ability to compete with the best in the business. Ford is committed to
doing everything it takes to work with its partners, including the
United Auto Workers, to remain competitive."
Of course, this didn't come without tax breaks, courtesy of the state of Missouri.
"Today's announcement ensures that next-generation vehicles will be
built right here in Missouri, by the best workforce in the country,"
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said in a statement. "Last year, we came
together to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act to help our state
compete for the production jobs of the future. That hard work paid off.
For thousands of employees at Ford's Claycomo plant, and thousands more
at suppliers across Missouri, this news is a big win. We'll be building
the vehicles of the future right here in the Show-Me State."
There was a lot of knuckle gnawing when Ford announced that the Ford
Escape wouldn't be made at the Kansas City Assembly Plant anymore. That
is
going to Louisville, Kentucky, at the end of the year. Workers were left making F-150 pickup trucks.
Last
month, a Ford spokeswoman told us that the
new vehicle line was
contingent on the automaker and the state
of Missouri reaching a deal on tax incentives --
something the two have been negotiating for a while
At the time, Kelli Felker, Ford's broadcast communications
manager, told us: "We
do have new product in mind for Kansas City and we are committed to
continuing to work together with all of our stakeholders, including the
state of Missouri, as we move closer to making it a reality."
Now it is a reality.
Comments (0)