Ford to build Transit commercial van at Kansas City Plant; $1.1B investment
21 October 2011
Ford Motor Company confirmed that it will build the full-size Transit van at its Kansas City Assembly Plant when the new product joins its North American lineup in 2013. The company is investing $1.1 billion—$700 million more than was previously announced—in a new body shop, new tooling in the Final Assembly Area, an upgraded paint shop and an all-new integrated stamping plant, which will be located on an adjacent property in Liberty, Mo.
A portion of the investment also will be used in the future to support next-generation F-150 pickup production at the plant.
Ford is investing $16 billion in its U.S. operations—including $6.2 billion in US plants—to design, engineer and produce more new and upgraded vehicles and components by 2015.
The current SUV line at the Kansas City facility, which will be idled for re-tooling after the current Escape model is phased out in April, will re-open in 2013. During re-tooling, the plant will continue to build F-150 trucks. The company also plans to increase F-150 production at the facility, which will build the trucks on two shifts instead of one beginning in May.
Kansas City Assembly Plant is Ford’s fourth North American facility to be re-tooled to produce new vehicles that are part of the company’s balanced product portfolio of cars, utilities, trucks and commercial vehicles. Ford said that its commitment to install a new product line requiring this level of investment was enabled, in part, by the recent ratification of the new UAW-Ford Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Another wise decision by Ford to build trucks and truck-like vehicles in USA and future cars in countries with lower labor cost.
Posted by: HarveyD | 21 October 2011 at 12:36 PM
Nice to see given the emerging scandal of Fisker getting over $500 million in Dept of Energy money then turning around and building their cars in Finland because no sites in the U.S. were "suitable".
Posted by: ejj | 22 October 2011 at 06:25 AM
ejj....don't worry. If the current trend continues for another 5 to 10 more years, many places may become 'suitable' in USA.
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 October 2011 at 10:14 AM
ejj,
There's a difference between Ford deciding to retool one of their plants and Fisker not finding anyone in the US that would build their car under contract. Valmet is going to build Fisker's car entirely on their behalf. You think Ford wants to build Fiskers in the middle of their trucks and vans?
Posted by: Wes | 24 October 2011 at 05:54 AM