Ford Adds 1,200 Jobs In Michigan, Part Of $16 Billion Investment Creating 12,000 U.S. Jobs

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Ford will add 1,200 new hourly jobs and invest $555 million to equip a new state-of-the-art body and paint shop capable of producing multiple vehicles at its plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Hilda Soils praised Ford for adding 1,200 jobs at Michigan plant.

Hilda Soils praised Ford for adding 1,200 jobs at Michigan plant.

Ford is taking over management the former AutoAlliance International plant and is upgrading the Flat Rock Assembly Plant to include a state-of-the-art, fully flexible body shop and an environmentally friendly paint shop. The plant will continue as a 50-50 joint venture between Ford and Mazda Motor Corp.

“The new Flat Rock Assembly Plant symbolizes the growth driven by our One Ford plan,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas, in a press release. “Ford continues investing in people, products and plants to deliver the head-turning, fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive vehicles people really want, including the all-new Fusion.”

Mazda6 production at the plant ended in August 2012. The plant will continue building the Mustang before adding Fusion production next year. Flat Rock Assembly will become the sole U.S. producer of the Fusion, employing a total of 2,900 workers on both production lines.

Ford Will Add Jobs

With each new major plant program, Ford is increasing the flexibility of its equipment and facilities to build multiple vehicles at one location, the firm said. By 2015, on a global basis Ford will be able to produce 25% more vehicle types per plant compared with 2011.

“By fully incorporating Flat Rock Assembly into our manufacturing system, we are able to take advantage of internal efficiencies that will streamline our ability to produce vehicles,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford’s VP of North America manufacturing. “This is critical as we increase our capacity to meet growing customer demand for our products.”

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited Ford Flat Rock assembly plant on 10 September 2012, joining Ford executives and several elected officials to celebrate Ford’s expansion of operations in the city.

Solis praised Ford for its strong commitment to the American economy and its efforts to in-source jobs back to the United States.

As part of its October 2011 contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union, Ford agreed to add 12,000 new jobs and invest $16 billion in the United States by 2015.

Adding more production shifts to four plants will create about 5,000 new jobs.

Ford plants that will ad jobs include Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mi; Chicago Assembly Plant in Illinois; Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky and the Flat Rock, Mi. plant.

Additional plant investments in the form of upgrades and expansions are also part of the agreement, including $6.2 billion for vehicle upgrades and new components.

“I saw that Ford manufactured your 350 millionth car last week,” Solis said in a speech at the Flat Rock plant. “Congratulations! You’re showing the world that American manufacturing is alive and well, and we can compete and win on a global basis against any competitor.”

“You’re also showing what can be achieved when management and labor work together,” Solis said. “Labor-management partnerships have helped drive our auto industry’s growth during our recovery.”

“It shows that collaboration is profitable. Industry succeeds when labor sits at the table with management, and ideas are shared, “ Solis said. “When labor and management play on the same team, they are unbeatable.

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