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Ford to add 500 jobs in Chicago, invest $1B in SUV plant
NBC News ^ | February 7, 2019 | Paul A. Eisenstein

Posted on 02/07/2019 12:38:04 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Ford said Thursday it will hire 500 workers and invest $1 billion in its Chicago assembly operations to help keep up with booming demand for sport and crossover-utility vehicles.

The announcement comes on the heels of cross-town rival GM axing 4,000 workers, and is part of the $11 billion restructuring Ford announced last fall that includes dropping all passenger car models except the iconic Mustang. It is shifting resources to light trucks, like those it is building in the Windy City.

The Chicago Assembly and Stamping Plants currently build both the full-size Taurus sedan and Explorer SUV. The Taurus will be dropped as part of Ford’s move out of passenger cars, but the Explorer is enjoying a level of growth it hasn’t experienced in decades.

The investment plan will allow Ford to expand capacity for the Explorer as well as the new Explorer Police Interceptor it is launching. Ford has traditionally dominated the market for police vehicles and expects the Interceptor — which debuted last month at the Detroit Auto Show — to expand its hold....

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: chicago; ford; illinois; recalls

1 posted on 02/07/2019 12:38:04 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’d go for one of the Mad Max Pursuit Specials.

Last of the V8s!


2 posted on 02/07/2019 12:48:04 PM PST by HombreSecreto (The new Oldsmobiles are in early this year)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Still ain’t buying one!


3 posted on 02/07/2019 12:49:39 PM PST by snuffy smiff (Build the Wall and build it tall, then build a gallows and hang them ALL!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Gross corporate mismanagement to put that kind of investment in a state like Illinois.


4 posted on 02/07/2019 12:54:27 PM PST by PAR35
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To: PAR35

It would be much more cost effective to build the plant just to the east of downtown Chicago.


5 posted on 02/07/2019 12:57:56 PM PST by youthphil
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Wonder if Ford will buyout Harley-D? Rumor recently.


6 posted on 02/07/2019 1:46:33 PM PST by donozark (There are no flamingos in Venezuela.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

TAKE THAT GM!

Go Ford!


7 posted on 02/07/2019 2:48:54 PM PST by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: BBB333
As a former satisfied GM owner, I'm willing to give GM another chance if only to help President Trump's economy.

That said, my patronage is Ford's to lose.

8 posted on 02/07/2019 3:07:50 PM PST by TwelveOfTwenty (Prayers for our country and President Trump)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

” I’m willing to give GM another chance if only to help President Trump’s economy.”

???

The President of GM is CLOSING PLANTS, deliberately trying to hurt Trump and American workers!


9 posted on 02/07/2019 3:18:36 PM PST by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Looking forward to seeing the Explorer ST


10 posted on 02/07/2019 3:20:50 PM PST by pnz1 (#IMNOTWITHHER)
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To: BBB333
I'm aware of the plant closings, although I'm not sure it's anything but a business decision. If no one is buying sedans anymore, what else are they going to do with the plants that build them? I guess they could build the Blazer in one of them, but they won't so cross that off my shopping list.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if you were correct about why. I'm a long way from buying a new car, so there's plenty of time for the truth to come out.

11 posted on 02/07/2019 3:37:49 PM PST by TwelveOfTwenty (Prayers for our country and President Trump)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

OK.

Try an American made Honda, Subaru or Toyota. No Union crap at those plants...

(I was a Longshoreman for four years and despise unions).


12 posted on 02/07/2019 3:40:43 PM PST by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: BBB333

I’ll consider that too when the time comes.


13 posted on 02/07/2019 3:41:29 PM PST by TwelveOfTwenty (Prayers for our country and President Trump)
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To: TwelveOfTwenty

I understand.

Bought a new Honda about a year ago to to a game of car ping-pong with a deer last January (’18).

The deer lost.


14 posted on 02/07/2019 3:59:26 PM PST by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Get rid of the Taurus - second time around.

Kind of ironic that they decided that trucks/SUVs are the way to go...most trucks come with the really substantial rebates/discounts so folks will buy them and trucks and SUVs are what everyone thought was going to the wayside when the Dems were destroying the energy manufactures...how things change.


15 posted on 02/08/2019 2:50:58 AM PST by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
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To: PAR35

“Gross corporate mismanagement to put that kind of investment in a state like Illinois”

The share price of Ford stock backs up your statement. Next up share holders is dividend cuts is my guess.


16 posted on 02/09/2019 10:10:45 AM PST by DAC21
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To: pnz1

I’d settle for a modest price SUV from Ford that can handle a dicey Forest Service road as well as an old ‘08 Explorer — or deep snow as well as a Subaru Outback.

Ford kinda lost me when they turned the Explorer into a mall-finder — and then created multiple other models with similar incapabilities.


17 posted on 02/09/2019 10:20:06 PM PST by Paul R.
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