Ford to idle 1,222 workers to retool Kansas City, Mo., plant for Transit commercial van
 |
Reprints
Print
Respond
Ford Motor Co. will idle 1,222 of 3,300 workers at its Kansas City, Mo., assembly plant starting April 27 as it retools a line to produce the full-sized Ford Transit commercial van.
The temporary layoffs were reported by the Missouri Journal.
The plant produces the Ford Escape crossover and F-150 pickup. F-150 production will continue during the renovation. Transit van production is to begin in mid-2013.
Escape assembly will end April 27 in Kansas City, then move to Louisville, Ky.
"These layoffs are the direct result of upgrades to prepare for the new Transit," Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans told the Kansas City Business Journal. "Employees are on layoff as we renovate."
Evans said some Escape production workers would work on the plant renovation and others would work on F-150 production.
Evans said she did not know how long the layoffs would last.
Ford is investing $1.1 billion in the plant where the Transit will be built alongside the F-150. The Transit is now assembled and sold outside North America. The automaker expects to add 1,600 local jobs with the switch, according to the Business Journal.
You can reach Ellen Mitchell at emitchell@crain.com.
