IT’S WIN-WIN FOR THE T DONALD
Drives Ford shift to keep jobs from going to Mexico
Ford has slammed the brakes on a plan to invest millions of dollars in a plant in Mexico and will instead upgrade a Michigan facility, crediting the move Tuesday as a “vote of confidence” in Presidentelect Donald Trump’s progrowth agenda.
Ford CEO Mark Fields announced the U-turn at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, saying Trump’s policies were critical to the decision.
“We believe these tax and regulatory reforms are necessary to boost US competitiveness,” Fields told workers there.
The automaker canceled plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and will spend $700 million to upgrade its Flat Rock plant and create 700 jobs to make electric and self-driving cars.
Hours after the deal was announced, Trump declared victory on Twitter.
“Instead of driving jobs and wealth away, AMERICA will become the world’s great magnet for INNOVATION & JOB CREATION,” he tweeted.
Fields, in an interview on CNN, said the company changed its plans as a strategic business move, betting that electric cars will eventually leave gas-powered cars in the dust.
“We didn’t cut a deal with the president-elect,” he insisted. “We did what’s right for our business, first and foremost. That’s what drives us in every business decision that we make.
“But we look at a lot of factors . . . and one of the factors that we see is again, this more positive US environment for manufacturing and investment here, and we take that into account in our investment decisions, very clearly.”
Last month, when Fields declared that Ford was looking to work with the incoming administration, he suggested that it was too late to change the plan for a new factory in Mexico.
Ford still intends to move production of its Focus compact car to an existing plant in Mexico. The Focus is currently made in Wayne, Mich.
Fields said he notified Vice President-elect Mike Pence of the news before announcing it, and Pence “was very happy . . . that we’re making the investments here in America — not only good for Ford but good for the US and American workers.”
Bill Ford, the company’s executive chair, spoke with Trump, who during the presidential campaign repeatedly slammed Ford for moving US jobs to Mexico.
After the election, Trump phoned Bill Ford to discuss the company’s plan to move manufacturing of the Lincoln MKC sport utility vehicle to Mexico from Louisville, Ky.
Fields said at the time that the discussion helped convince Bill Ford to keep building the Lincoln here.
An official with the United Auto Workers praised the Ford announcement.
“I am thrilled that we have been able to secure additional UAW-Ford jobs for American workers,” UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles said.
Ford employs 85,000 workers in America and about 8,800 in Mexico.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump took General Motors to task for building the Chevrolet Cruze in Mexico.
“General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!” he tweeted.
GM responded by saying that while it imported some Cruze sedans from Mexico to meet demand last year as it rolled out a new version of the compact car, those imports have stopped.
Trump’s campaign pledge to bring jobs back to America has proven to be more than a vow.
In December, air-conditioner-maker Carrier agreed to remain in Indiana after talks with Pence. That decision also saved about 700 jobs that would have ended up in Mexico.