The Economy

Ford Will Add Third Shift at its Cleveland Engine Plant

May 2, 2012

Strong demand for fuel-efficient engines is driving the need for 250 additional jobs at the plant, according the automaker.

Josh Cable

Ford Motor Co. (IW 500: 6) said it will add a third shift -- 250 jobs -- at its Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1, to meet surging demand for its 3.5-liter EcoBoost and 3.7-liter V-6 engines. "Our engine plant in Cleveland is the first and only facility in North America to produce EcoBoost engines, and we are tripling production capacity to meet customers' growing needs for fuel-efficient engines," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. Most of the 250 jobs needed to run the third shift will come from employees transferring from Ford's Cleveland Engine Plant No. 2, which is scheduled to end production later this week. Since Ford introduced the EcoBoost engine on the Ford Taurus SHO and Lincoln MKS in 2009, customers have purchased 180,000 Cleveland-built 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines, according to the automaker. In 2011, Ford sold a record 121,000 vehicles equipped with 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines when the F-150 pickup began offering an EcoBoost option, according to the automaker. In first-quarter 2012, Ford sold more than 39,000 vehicles equipped with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, representing more than a 285% increase from the first quarter of 2011. The 3.7-liter V-6 engine produced in Cleveland serves as the base engine for two iconic Ford vehicles: the Mustang and F-150 pickup. Later this month, Ford will add one shift of F-150 production at its Kansas City Assembly Plant, allowing the company to better meet increasing demand for the pickup. See Also:

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About the Author

Josh Cable | Former Senior Editor

Former Senior Editor Josh Cable covered innovation issues -- including trends and best practices in R&D, process improvement and product development. He also reported on the best practices of the most successful companies and executives in the world of transportation manufacturing, which encompasses the aerospace, automotive, rail and shipbuilding sectors.

Josh also led the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame, IW’s annual tribute to the most influential executives and thought leaders in U.S. manufacturing history.

Before joining IndustryWeek, Josh was the editor-in-chief of Penton Media’s Government Product News and Government Procurement. He also was an award-winning beat reporter for several small newspapers in Northeast Ohio.

Josh received his BFA in creative writing from Bowling Green University, and continued his professional development through course-work at Ohio University and Cuyahoga Community College.

A lifelong resident of the Buckeye State, Josh currently lives in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. When the weather cooperates, you’ll find him riding his bike to work, exercising his green thumb in the backyard or playing ultimate Frisbee.