Ford Opens Engine Plant in Mexico

[Keith Browning]

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=347571&CategoryId=14091

 

Ford Opens Engine Plant in Mexico

 

 

MEXICO CITY – Ford on Tuesday inaugurated in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua a factory with an annual production capacity of 200,000 diesel turbocharged engines to power pickup trucks.

 

The Power Stroke motor will be produced at a new annex of the U.S. automaker’s existing complex in Chihuahua and will be used for the 2011 models of Ford’s Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 pickups.

 

The project “will generate 1,100 direct jobs and 3,300 indirect jobs in its final phase,” said the firm in a communique.

 

“It’s also great news in that it represents an investment of more than $800 million,” Mexican President Felipe Calderon revealed at the inauguration ceremony.

 

He emphasized that Mexican automotive sector production “increased more than 11 percent” between the second and third quarter of this year.

 

Production of the new engine will be added to the current manufacturing of Duratec I-4 engines that the firm has under way in Chihuahua for the Fusion hybrid, Escape, Focus, Ecosport and Mercury Milan models, the annual maximum production capacity for which is 428,000 units annually.

 

The new engine will provide for pickup trucks “a significantly superior torque, as well as greater power and fuel economy,” the firm’s executive director for Canada, Mexico and South America, Jim Farley, emphasized.

 

Meanwhile, the president of the firm in Mexico, Eduardo Serrano, said that in the U.S. giant’s restructuring plan “Mexico has a very notable role in the areas of manufacturing, engineering and sales.”

 

Ford began operating in Mexico in 1925 and employs more than 4,680 people in the country.

 

On Oct. 6, Ford announced that next March it will begin manufacturing its new Fiesta model at its plant in the Mexico City suburb of Cuautitlan Izcalli.

 

The remodeled factory will go online in the third quarter of 2010 with an annual production of 180,000 units, but the complex has the capacity to manufacture up to 324,000 autos per year.

 

Both investments are part of a total of $3 billion in investments in Mexico announced in May 2008 by Ford.

 

As part of that overall effort, Ford is also considering building a vehicle suspension plant in the central state of Guanajuato as a joint investment with the firm Getrag. EFE

[Bruce Amacker]

Being that I am from Cleveland whose Engine Plant was also in the running for this project, I am saddened by this turn in direction. I attribute this to the Union stronghold, which has pushed numerous jobs away from our area. We continue to decline.....

 

 

 

[Keith Browning]

I was going to add a comment that "there goes MORE American jobs out of the country" but the reality is these are self inflicted job losses as you elude to. Once again the union topic rears it's ugly head. I am sure there is a lot more to it like taxes and Federal regulations forcing this kind of thing.

[Adam_Dodson]

Hopefully the mexicans build a better powerstroke then the americans

[mchan68]

Hopefully the mexicans build a better powerstroke then the americans

I have no doubt in my mind that they WILL. As much as I hate to say it, it all comes back to the typical North American work ethic. There are far too many, who have this attitude that jobs are "owed" to them. As I'm sure these Mexicans will only be too happy to do a job that pays them $10 per hour, that would normally "demand" $30 per hour to someone on the homefront, we can thank union bullying for this as Bruce states. With the number of people needed for this operation, can you blame the manufacturers for relocating their jobs, once the math is done?

[LARRY BRUDZYNSKI]

Okay, we have heard from the nudians....

 

My take on this....Are you ready.... Okay

 

The "Big 3" so called manufacturers are pumping up the work force "onions" to preach build it here buy it here. I don't buy into that narrow frame of mind. I am so (sorry Keith) FUCKIN TIRED of seeing the bumper stickers....Keep buying Foreign cars and send our jobs out of the country. Buy American... The big 3 are the biggest contributors of purchasing foreign parts for their "American made products" it makes me want to puke,

 

What's really american made anymore???? My boss drives a 05 chevy 2500 with a "Duramax" diesel. He still won't accept the fact that it is a ISUZU diesel in his "American" made truck. Or should it just be stated "American" assembled truck.

 

I worked for a Honda car dealer quite a few years back and had taken the tour of American Honda back in the 90's in Marysville Ohio. Back then the only piece of the car still coming from Japan was the transmission. Not anymore, they have built quite the engineering feat there in a little town in the U.S. I suggest more people check it out. Now don't get me wrong I believe in buying what we produce as a nation, but come on....It really sucks when I see things like this being farmed out to another country and we have really good men and women getting shit on and layed off or put out to pasture because the big 3 can't seem to get their shit straight.

 

My biggest come back to the "onion" workers out there is....What kind of TV or Stereo do you own? Why don't you buy "American" made? Shut's them up pretty quick, They don't have a response for it. How about the "Tennis/Gym" shoes???Where are they made????

 

I am really glad that Ford decided to build their own diesel engine, But why couldn't they build it in Cleveland or maybe even Detroit??????? I understand that costs come into it but come on. We are dying here in the U.S. that's the last thing we needed. To see some jobs that would have been a big boost for the country shipped off to Mexico.

 

After all this is the United States of America, Not Americana.

[Tony302600]

Being that I am from Cleveland whose Engine Plant was also in the running for this project, I am saddened by this turn in direction. I attribute this to the Union stronghold, which has pushed numerous jobs away from our area. We continue to decline.....

 

 

 

Bruce, I've thought that this was true until i took some economics classes. The only thing this shows is that the shareholders/management/fat cats have won the war on profits vs. US labor. I found that companies constantly blame the unions and US workers for them not being able to make money...but then take home a $5,000,000/year salary.

 

We examined plants in Spain vs US plants. In the spain, they have unions. When the bosses want to change something they ask all the workers if its the right way to go, as they have the discussion the manager takes notes until the WORKERS come up with a way they want to do it. The manager goes to the presidents and walla...they agree. They are ashamed that the CEO makes 10x the lowest paid worker...they said they like to keep it at around 6-8 but do to the economy it's turned into that. Their employee's have EVERYTHING they want, and the plant does excellent.

 

Now the US plants...constantly has cut after cut after cut after cut to every part of the company except white collar pay including CEO's. CEO pay is 500times the lowest paying job. Workers are mad because they know theres a better way of doing something, but no one cares.

 

I'm sorry Bruce but job's aren't leaving because labor is too expensive...jobs are leaving because companies that are on the stock market have to please shareholers and CEOS..and they dont give a FUCK about the middle class...so they blame the unions and labor. You want to know whats ruining our country...Fucking WALMART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This christmas Me and my fiance are only buying made in american gifts. It has to be be made here and not just assembled here. A radio host inspired me by him saying hes doing it. (who's a liberal). We're having a tough time finding things to purchase.

[Bruce Amacker]

 

I'm sorry Bruce but job's aren't leaving because labor is too expensive...jobs are leaving because companies that are on the stock market have to please shareholders and CEOS.

I'm not sure I agree with you here. I know of far too many instances firsthand of union workers making in excess of $100K with O/T and doing less work than a burger flipper at McDonalds. I know firsthand of guys who work at the Ford Engine plant, punch in, and go home while on the clock.

 

What you state is definitely true, but there is more to the story. Cleveland is a really strong automotive union town, with a lot of auto plants, both open and closed. In addition to that, there are a lot of smaller "contract" companies that feed the OEMs parts and sub assemblies.

 

If the unions didn't have such a stranglehold on the wages and bennie package, US plants could compete enough to stay in the game. When you have 3 guys making 60-100K a year doing the work of one guy, there's no way to compete.

 

 

I know far too much about unions to believe otherwise.

 

Respectfully,