Ford investing $95M, adding 1,100 new union jobs at KC plant to boost electric vehicle production
June 2, 2022 | Startland News Staff
One of Kansas City’s biggest employers is driving further into its commitment to local jobs and strengthening its electric vehicle portfolio, adding a third shift at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant and bringing new focus to its evolving strategy.
Ford announced Thursday it is investing $95 million and adding 1,100 new union jobs in Kansas City to increase production of the Transit, America’s best-selling commercial van, and the all-new E-Transit EV.
Kansas City Assembly Plant; photo courtesy of Ford
The Kansas City news is part of Ford’s just-announced plan to create 6,200 new United Auto Worker jobs in the Midwest, convert nearly 3,000 of its temporary employees to full time, and produce 2 million electric vehicles globally by the end of 2026.
“You don’t serve your customers by waiting around,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Blue, the company’s global internal combustion business. “So we’re moving, and we’re moving now. We’re investing in whole new generations of vehicles, services, technologies and buying experiences for a whole new generation of customers.”
But traditional vehicles — like the seventh-generation Ford Mustang — aren’t going away, he emphasized.
“For the millions of loyal Ford customers who aren’t ready to go electric yet, who want and need Ford’s great gasoline-powered vehicles for years to come, we will continue to build great new iconic vehicles,” Galhotra said.
Ford also is committing $1 billion over five years to improve work experience across the company, he added, noting potential enhancements include better access to healthy food, new EV chargers in plant parking lots, and better lighting in parking lots. Such changes are expected to differ by plant, and it was not immediately clear which might apply to the Kansas City facility.
Kansas City Assembly Plant; photo courtesy of Ford
Ford currently has more than 7,000 employees at its Kansas City plant. In addition to the Transit and E-Transit vans, it also produces the F-150 pickup locally.
“Today’s announcement is great news for our state,” said Mike Parson, governor of Missouri. “For more than 70 years, hardworking Missourians have assembled iconic Ford vehicles. Now, these 1,100 new hourly jobs at the Kansas City Assembly Plant will increase production of the Transit and E-Transit commercial vans, driving Missouri’s economy forward.”
The announcements — which also included new jobs and developments for plants in Ohio and Michigan — come a year after the company detailed its Ford+ plan to transform its global automotive business, accelerating the development and scaling of breakthrough electric, connected vehicles, while leveraging iconic nameplates to strengthen operating performance and take full advantage of engineering and industrial capabilities.
Watch a video of Ford’s livestreamed jobs announcement below.
Featured Business
2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
PHKC earns more state funding for 811 Retail Incubator; MTC boosting small biz
Another round of financial support from the Missouri Technology Corporation proves state economic development leaders understand that innovation also runs along main street, said Dan Smith. The Porter House KC — which just opened its 811 Retail Incubator in late July — is among seven entities just awarded a total of $1.8 million in Physical Infrastructure…
MTC just awarded $2.6M in investments; three KC tech startups earn state backing
As Advoteck works to bring its app to market later this year, an equity investment from the Missouri Technology Corporation is expected to help the Kansas City-based startup expand its reach nationwide in the fight against cyber crime. MTC on Tuesday announced $2.6 million in investments across seven Missouri companies — primarily focused on fostering…
KC Chamber, businesses: We won’t back down from DEI initiatives; city’s top diversity advocates honored
LeAna Flores knows those three little letters — DEI — can trigger a lot of people these days, she said. “For me, as a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practitioner, I live and breathe by this quote — especially in the climate that we have right now — ‘They tried to bury us, but they…
‘We are each other’s bootstraps’: Pay-It-Forward cafe says pressure to serve neighbors is back
The reopening of Thelma’s Kitchen — a pay-it-forward restaurant on Troost Avenue — not only flips the menu on the “soup kitchen” concept, but serves as an anchor of compassionate, community-focused care in the face of neighborhood gentrification, said Father Justin Mathews. “We view what we’re doing here as kind of like urban acupressure,” said…