Ford Motor Co. is the industry leader in U.S. production volume, exports and U.S. hourly autoworker employment for the fifth straight year, according to 2022 data from the independent analytics firm S&P Global Mobility.
Nearly 80% of the vehicles Ford sells in the U.S. are assembled by its estimated 57,000 manufacturing workers in the U.S., the Dearborn automaker said in a news release Monday.
In 2022, Ford exported 260,000 U.S.-assembled vehicles including the F-150, Explorer and Mustang to other countries — or 65,000 more than the next closest competitor. Approximately 1 in every 7 vehicles Ford assembles in the U.S. is now exported to other markets, the data shows.
“Ford has bet on American workers, including the UAW, more than any other automaker,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in the news release. “We could make different decisions — as many others have done to reduce costs — but Ford is different. We will find ways to be lean and competitive while investing in our home market.”
The news release details the results of an independent analysis from S&P Global Mobility, which the automaker requested, Ford spokesman Said Deep told the Detroit Free Press. The data provides confirmation of Ford’s status when discussing its commitment to U.S. production and exports, he said.
In 2022, Ford assembled more than 1.8 million vehicles in the U.S., or 130,000 more than the nearest auto manufacturer, the news release said. The F-Series pickup franchise is built exclusively in Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio. The Explorer SUV is built in Illinois, and the Escape SUV is assembled in Kentucky.
“Ford is the most American of all car companies,” Bill Ford, Ford executive chair and great-grandson of the company founder, said in the news release. “It is because of our belief in our workforce and in America that we build more vehicles and have more hourly employees here than other companies. As we pivot to an EV future, we are proud to continue to invest in America.”
Jobs: What’s ahead
Also Monday, Ford reiterated its plan to create more than 18,000 manufacturing jobs across Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Missouri over the next three years. They include:
- Nearly 2,000 at three Michigan assembly plants — to build the F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, the all-new Ranger pickup at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, and the all-new Mustang at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, plus an all-new Ford Customer Service Division packaging facility in Monroe.
- Approximately 1,800 union jobs at Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake to assemble an all-new EV commercial vehicle starting mid-decade.
- 6,000 at Blue Oval City in west Tennessee to build Ford’s next electric truck and EV batteries with partner SK On.
- 5,000 with partner SK On at the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky, for Ford and Lincoln EV batteries.
- 2,500 through a wholly owned subsidiary at BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall for production of lithium iron phosphate EV batteries.
- 1,100 to staff a new third shift at Kansas City Assembly Plant to increase production of the Transit van and E-Transit electric van.
On the eve of UAW talks
The timing of this Ford news release coincides with the start of collective bargaining negotiations with the UAW. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis are scheduled to negotiate a new four-year contract in coming months. Last time, GM was the target of a 40-day strike.
Newly elected UAW President Shawn Fain and his supporters have indicated they are preparing to strike.
“We’re here to come together to ready ourselves for the war against our one and only true enemy — multibillion-dollar corporations and employers who refuse to give our members their fair share,” Fain said during the UAW special bargaining convention last month.
Apple pie and pickup trucks
Consumers generally don’t seem to think much about what’s made in the U.S., the latest surveys have shown, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive.
“Consumers don’t generally know or care,” she said. “A certain segment of the population will insist on buying American, and you see that way more in Detroit. But go to Washington, D.C., and it’s something like 75% imports. Consumers buy vehicles that fit their needs.”
However, pickup buyers are a different story altogether, Krebs said. The American-made status may make a difference with full-size truck buyers as evidenced by the Detroit Three dominating the truck market.”
And high-profit pickup trucks generate the majority of revenue for Ford.
More:Ford F-150 Lightning owners aren’t like traditional pickup buyers: What they do differently
More:‘Shake up’ UAW, purge staff, prepare to strike: Document reveals Shawn Fain’s draft plans
More:Ford workers at 4 new plants won’t automatically be UAW members: Here’s why
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid