Ford Motor Co. is considering a $400 million investment for a component manufacturing facility in Kentucky to support production of electric vehicles.
Ray Leathers, CEO of the Shelby County Industrial & Development Foundation, said Friday that the Dearborn automaker is in the final stages of making the commitment for a facility to support a unicast aluminum forming process in the county that’s adjacent to Jackson County, home of Louisville where Ford has two plants producing trucks and SUVs.
Although affordability challenges and range anxiety has made EV adoption a bumpier road than expected, Ford’s contract with the United Auto Workers calls for a $1.2 billion investment for a new EV in Louisville Assembly.
The sites under consideration also are roughly 70 miles northeast of Glendale, Kentucky, where Ford is building two battery plants with Korean partner SK On Ltd. The first is set to begin production next year. The second was supposed to open in 2026 but has been delayed as part of $12 billion in cuts and delays for EV investments due to the slower-than-expected uptake in sales.
“It’s not a done deal,” Leathers said about the parts plant. “They still have a couple of hoops to get through, but we’re just very proud that we’ve been working with Ford for about six to nine months on this project.”
The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development in May approved $11 million in tax incentives for the project that is expected to create 260 jobs in the county where more than 14,000 people leave daily to go to work, Leathers said. Average hourly wage target listed for the project is $36 per hour.
“We thank the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development for its offer of support as we explore the potential for a specialized high-tech facility in Shelby County,” Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch said in a statement.
Crystal Staley, director of communications for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, declined in a statement to comment on specific prospects but said: “Ford has been an amazing Team Kentucky partner” and that “the Governor does want Kentuckians to know there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the state’s future economic growth.”
The Louisville Courier Journal first reported about the project.
The plant is expected to occupy around 500,000 square feet, Leathers said. A couple of new buildings in Shelbyville off Interstate 64 are options and more than 12 million square feet of industrial space is coming online soon in the county.
“Shelby County enjoys a very strategic location in the U.S.,” Leathers said. “We’re right at the crossroads of America. I think Shelby County is a great strategic location for Ford.”
bnoble@detroitnews.com
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