Ford is again ready to invest in its three Michigan facilities approximately $1.2 billion, and this time it is coming with another 130 jobs for Americans. We don’t know how did the automaker make this decision, whether it was pressured by Donald Trump who wants USA automakers to invest in the country more, or it was just a decision took on their own.
The investments were in the works well before Trump took office, however. Ford announced plans to upgrade some of its Michigan plants in November 2015 as part of a new contract with the United auto Workers union. Ford Americas President Joe Hinrichs said the company told the White House about the investments Tuesday morning. Hinrichs said it's not unusual for the company to reach out to state and national political leaders before such an announcement. Hinrichs said Tuesday's announcement was timed to a state meeting where officials approved nearly $31 million in grants and 15-year tax exemptions for Ford. Ford will spend $850 million to upgrade the Michigan Assembly Plant next year to build the Ford Ranger midsize pickup and Ford Bronco SUV. Ford plans to build the Ranger starting at the end of 2018 and the Bronco starting in 2020.
Ford will spend $150 million to upgrade its Romeo Engine Plant outside Detroit. The company says it will create or retain 130 jobs at that plant, which will make components for a new engine. Ford also is spending $200 million on a data center that will store information collected from self-driving and connected cars. The data center will be located at an assembly plant in the Detroit suburb of Flat Rock. Ford announced in January that the Flat Rock plant would get $700 million in upgrades and 700 new jobs to make electric and self-driving cars.
