Recent trends with Ford products bode well for Clay County and its impact from the Claycomo production plant.
The automaker announced recently that it plans to build more electric vehicles, including the E-Transit electric vans manufactured in Clay County. To help increase production, the company has said it would add a third shift and 1,100 jobs at its full-size van plant in Claycomo.
This push by Ford is based on solid economics, too. The United States Postal Service recently selected Ford to supply over 9,000 of the Transit electric vans, giving the Claycomo plant another healthy milestone.
Although auto sales have been slowed in recent years by shortages of key parts like computer chips, both the F150 pickup and the Transit van have been doing well. Ford’s slowing was less than the overall average, but the rise in electric vehicle sales is nevertheless welcome news.
The Claycomo plant’s recently announced third shift for Transit production would increase their area workforce to over 9,000 jobs. With suppliers, transporters and others needed to support the plant, Ford is estimated to bring a total over 60,000 jobs to the region.
Ford will start delivering the vehicles in December, according to a recent news release. In 2020, Ford promised $100 million for the Kansas City plant as part of changes for the van. In 2022, Ford announced an additional $95 million for 1,100 hourly jobs to help produce both versions of the Transit.
