Amid persistent demand for consumer vehicles, Ford Motor Co. announced Tuesday, September 27 that it would put more money into its truck production operations in Kentucky. In a release, the company said the $700 million would “support” production of a new F-series pickup truck at Ford’s Louisville plant, and that it would create 500 new hourly manufacturing jobs in the state.
The latest announcement comes precisely one year after the Michigan-based automaker announced the $5.8 billion construction of two new battery plants in central Kentucky, collectively called BlueOval SK Battery Park, and the $5.6 billion Blue Oval City electric-vehicle plant, which is currently under construction in Tennessee. Both factories will be run by a joint venture with SK Innovation.
The 500 new jobs from the investments announced Tuesday will add to the existing 12,000 people Ford currently employs in Kentucky, as well as the new hires expected to come from the Blue Oval projects.
Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford’s internal-combustion division, Ford Blue, emphasized the popularity of the F-series pickup in a statement expressing the company’s attachment to Kentucky. “Our workforce in Kentucky makes some of the country’s most popular vehicles, including the F-Series Super Duty,” Galhotra said.
Governor Andy Beshear, in his own statement, noted that Ford has operated in Kentucky for “more than a century” and said he “couldn’t be more proud” on behalf of his state.
