Ford beefs up SUV production

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it will shift 550 jobs to its Kentucky Truck Plant to boost production of its Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles to meet growing demand for its large SUVS.

Growing sales for the Expedition and Navigator are driving a 20 percent production boost at the plant in Louisville, the automaker said.

To increase the truck plant’s workforce, Ford said it will shift the jobs away from its crosstown factory — Louisville Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC.

Growing demand for large SUVS is fueling the employment boost at the sprawling truck plant.

“Kentucky Truck Plant is home to two of Ford and Lincoln’s most successful vehicles,” said John Savona, Ford vice president of North American manufacturing. “After seeing a continued increase in customer demand for Expedition and Navigator, we are boosting production for a second time to meet it.”

Retail sales of the Expedition eight-passenger SUV surged 35 percent last year, Ford said. Navigator sales grew 70 percent in 2018, posting the vehicle’s best sales year since 2007, it said.

The truck plant’s production will increase after the summer shutdown in July, Ford said.

Production of Expeditions at the Kentucky Truck Plant grew from nearly 50,000 in 2017 to around 76,000 last year, Ford said. Navigator production doubled in the same period to about 24,500.

Ford’s announcement that it’s boosting production of its large SUVS is the latest signal of the auto industry’s shift to SUVS and trucks.

General Motors plans to shed as many as 14,000 workers in a major restructuring aimed at shifting its focus to making trucks, SUVS and electric and autonomous vehicles.