Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) announced it plans to add 2,000 new jobs at its Kansas City plant in Missouri as full-size pickup sales are showing strong demand. Ford manufactures the popular F-150 pickups at the Kansas City plant. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s president of the Americas, Joe Hinrichs, said Thursday the company has decided to add a third shift and 900 jobs to build F-150 pickup trucks.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Growth In Sales
Last month, big pickup sales grew 27 percent, while overall new car and truck sales rose only 8.5 percent. F-series sales surged 24.4 percent in the same period. Recovery in the housing and oil sectors helped boost truck sales. The Kansas City plant will now operate 120 hours a week after the third crew of 900 workers is added. Work hours per week will be reduced from 50 hours to 40 hours. Currently, the plant operates for 100 hours per week in two shifts.
Transit To Replace Econoline
The second largest U.S. automaker will add another 1,100 jobs in the fourth quarter as it plans to start production of the Transit full size van by the end of this year. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)) plans to replace the E-van or Econoline with Transit. The new job addition will increase the total workforce at the plant by over 80 percent as Kansas City Assembly plant already has 2,450 employees in two shifts.
The F-series has been one of the most successful truck models in the world. It has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for the past three decades, and has led the truck segment for the past 36 years. The demand for F-series has been increasing for 21 straight months.
Previously Laid off Employees To Be Hired
Joe Hinrichs said that half of the new hires will be recalled from previous layoffs, and the other half will be new hires. That makes up for all the laid-off workers, so further growth will mean new jobs, said Hinrichs. In 2011, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) signed a contract with United Auto Workers union, promising to create 12,000 hourly jobs in the country by 2015. The latest announcement means the company has hit 9,000 hourly jobs.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares were up 0.22 percent to $13.42 at 10:05 AM EDT.
