|
Ford adds 60 jobs at
Cleveland-area engine plant
BROOK PARK, Feb. 26, 2010 (AP): The Ford Motor Co. announced
Friday that it is investing $155 million and adding 60 jobs at
an engine plant in suburban Cleveland to build a fuel-efficient
V-6 engine for the 2011 Mustang.
The engine built at Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 is expected to
lead its class in fuel efficiency with 30 miles per gallon on
the highway and 305 horsepower, the Dearborn, Mich.-based
automaker said.
``Ford is absolutely committed to delivering class-leading fuel
efficiency with every new vehicle we introduce, and this
investment in Cleveland provides further proof,'' said Bill
Russo, director of manufacturing for Ford's powertrain
operations.
Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product
development, said the 3.7-liter engine ``uses premium technology
to deliver the power, the feel, the fuel efficiency, even the
sound of the best sports coupes in the world.''
The news from Ford continues a recent string of heartening
announcements for an Ohio auto industry battered by layoffs and
plant closings. On Tuesday, General Motors Corp. said it would
bring 1,200 autoworkers back this summer to start producing the
Chevrolet Cruze compact car at its Lordstown factory in
northeast Ohio. Last week, GM said it would invest $59 million
and add 80 jobs at a plant in Defiance in northwest Ohio.
Ford said it is investing $1.8 billion and adding 1,260 jobs
across North America to support nine engines and transmissions
for 2011 models.
The Cleveland-area plant is expected to build two-thirds of the
engines for the model-year's Mustang. The company is investing
$121 million to support development and retooling of assembly
systems and systems to manufacture cylinder blocks, heads and
crankshafts.
Russo said the plant will be a ``hub for the future of Ford
powertrains.''
``This facility has the flexibility and the expertise to help us
meet customer demands for fun, fuel-efficient vehicles, and it
represents the future of advanced manufacturing in North
America,'' he said.
The company also is investing $34 million for launch and
engineering costs.
The plant is one of 11 of Ford's U.S. factories participating in
the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing Incentives Program, which consists of grants and
loans to support the development of advanced technology vehicles
and associated components.
The plant reopened in May 2009 after a two-year shutdown to
produce a new line of fuel-efficient engines. Ford says its
3.5-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine can achieve 20 percent better
fuel economy and 15 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions
without sacrificing power.
The plant was Ford's first Ohio engine plant in 1951 and has
produced more than 35 million engines.
|
