WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Ford launches new vehicle production in Kentucky

Ford launches new vehicle production in Kentucky

By Elizabeth Donatelli - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - While American car companies continue to release bad news Ford is unveiling its $200 million renovation to the Kentucky Truck Plant. It will be producing two new vehicles for this region.

Ford has already invested tens of millions of dollars in the Kentucky truck plant. About 80,000 jobs in the commonwealth depend on the auto industry.

"Ford among all the domestic manufactures has really stepped up in forward thinking," said Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear.

The company began remodeling the truck plant in December and now makes the Expedition and the Navigator in Louisville. The facility has been turned into what they call a flexible plant.

"Being flexible allows us if we're wrong to increase production on any one particular vehicle or decrease production in the same plant," explained Jim Tetreault, Ford VP of North American Manufacturing.

Flexible also means that if the market continues to shift this plant could adapt to make different vehicles in the future.

"Any truck the company markets we could build here at Kentucky trucks," said Tetreault, finishing that they could only be trucks.

The changes have brought nearly 450 jobs to Kentucky. That's good news for Ford while fellow American automakers GM and Chrysler continue to struggle, which could create some supply problems for Ford looking ahead.

"We do share some common suppliers and we are very concerned about that. We've put some contingency plans in place," said Tetreault. "Again we remain concerned but we're focused on delivering what we have to deliver on Ford."

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