Ford Motor Co. will add 350 new jobs and invest $80 million in its Kentucky Truck Plant to meet growing demand for its F-Series Super Duty trucks.
The $80 million will pay for facility upgrades, retooling and increased capacity to meet market demand. The investment and new employment opportunities are estimated to result in a 15-percent increase in production capacity or approximately 55,000 units.
"Customer demand for F-Series Super Duty trucks is growing substantially, and F-Series overall is America's best-selling truck for 37 years running," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas. "Building on more than 100 years of manufacturing in Kentucky, we are proud to expand our profitable growth in the region as a result of our leadership in trucks and SUVs."
The Kentucky Truck Plant, which opened in 1969, produces the F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty pickups, as well as Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The plant covers 6 million square feet and employs close to 4,000 people.
"We are happy to be adding new jobs at the Kentucky Truck Plant because we know the impact these jobs will have on the local community," said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president, National Ford Department. "It's especially rewarding to know these jobs come as a result of customer demand. It shows customers understand and appreciate the dedication our UAW Ford workers put into delivering top-quality products like Ford F-Series Super Duty."
Celebrating its 65th anniversary last year, Ford F-Series topped 750,000 sales in 2013, with more than 70,000 trucks sold in December after eight straight months of sales above 60,000 vehicles. On average, a single F-Series pickup was sold every 41 seconds in 2013.
For more information, visit www.ford.com.