Ford to add 350 jobs, invest $150 million in US plant

CHICAGO – Ford will add 350 jobs and invest $150 million at a US stamping plant as part of a major expansion of its capacity, the automaker said Thursday.

The investment will be used to upgrade equipment at its Buffalo, New York facility and the new jobs will support a third shift of production.

Ford said it is more than three-fourths of the way to its goal of creating 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States by 2015.

The second largest US automaker is investing $16 billion in US product development and manufacturing operations.

Ford has also announced plans to hire 2,200 salaried workers in the United States this year to fill jobs in such key areas as product development, manufacturing and IT.

Buffalo Stamping Plant opened in 1950 and currently has approximately 650 employees.

It produces doors, quarter panels, hoods, fenders and other stamped parts for the Ford F-250, F-350, Flex, Edge, Focus and Econoline, as well as the Lincoln MKX and MKT.