Ford Motor Co.
(
F
) recently announced the redesigning of the Louisville Assembly
Plant. The company made an investment of $600 million for the
renovation of the plant which commenced operation in 1955. From the
1990s until 2010, Ford Explorer was produced in the plant. After
the transformation, fuel efficient vehicles like Escape will be
manufactured.
The Louisville plant happens to be the most flexible domestic
assembly plant having the capacity of manufacturing six different
models simultaneously. It can also produce small, medium as well as
large vehicles.
Ford also announced the launch of the new Escape, which will be
offered for sale this month. The new Escape will ultimately pave
the way to the ultra-competitive small SUV category for the
company.
Ford has already created 1,800 hourly jobs at the Louisville
facility and plans to add 1,300 more with the beginning of the
plant's third shift. The vacancies were filled by the present
workers of Ford in Louisville and also from places where the plants
are either closed or decreased in size. The company expects that
hourly employment in its Louisville plant will be boosted to 4,200
by the end of the year.
Michigan-based Ford Motor is one of the largest automobile
producers worldwide. It is the global producer of trucks and
automobiles, as well as car and equipment rental and financing.
Although U.S. is Ford's primary selling ground, Europe, South
America, and the Asia-Pacific constitute the Company's other major
markets. The company's key competitors include Chrysler Group LLC,
General Motors Company
(
GM
),
Honda Motor Co.
(
HMC
),
Nissan Motor Co.
(
NSANY
) and
Toyota Motor Corporation
(
TM
).
Currently, Ford retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a
short-term (1 to 3 months) Hold rating. We have a long-term (more
than 6 months) Neutral recommendation on the stock.
FORD MOTOR CO (F): Free Stock Analysis Report
GENERAL MOTORS (GM): Free Stock Analysis Report
HONDA MOTOR (HMC): Free Stock Analysis Report
NISSAN ADR (NSANY): Free Stock Analysis Report
TOYOTA MOTOR CP (TM): Free Stock Analysis
Report
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