(October 1, 2014) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited’s Oakville Assembly plant will add more than 1,000 hourly jobs as it ramps up its transformation into one of Canada’s most competitive and advanced global manufacturing plants. Oakville Assembly will expand capabilities with new jobs added across the plant.

“The new 2015 Ford Edge sets a new standard in its class and will show countries around the world Canadian quality at its best,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of The Americas. “New jobs at Oakville Assembly will strengthen our investment in Canada and increase our capabilities as we gear up for one of the most anticipated launches at Ford.”

Added Dianne Craig, president and CEO, Ford of Canada, “Investment in auto manufacturing pays off, and Oakville Assembly is proof of that. Not only is the investment helping us meet much-needed capacity for high demand products produced in Canada, it’s creating jobs. It is a proud time at Ford of Canada as we welcome new employees to our team.”

In 2013, the company announced a C$700 million investment to convert Oakville Assembly into an advanced global manufacturing facility helping to meet growing demand in North America and around the world by producing vehicles with best-in-class quality, fuel efficiency, smart design and value. The new jobs will bring total employment at the plant to more than 4,000 by year-end. Ford already added 300 jobs in 2013 to meet growing consumer demand.

“The investments made by all stakeholders, Ford, the workers and government, in the Oakville transformation are paying off for Ontario and for Canada. The project is resulting in significant new jobs and generating enormous economic and fiscal benefits. This is a great example of why a national auto strategy really pays off for our whole economy,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor, national president. 

“Our government welcomes the news of the latest round of hirings in Oakville. We are committed to strengthening Canada’s economy while creating high-quality jobs here in Canada. The federal investment in the Oakville Assembly plant has helped transform it into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and one of Ford's most advanced facilities globally. It demonstrates once again that Canada is a great place to build cars,” said federal Industry Minister James Moore.

Oakville Assembly currently manufactures the Ford Edge and Flex, and the Lincoln MKX and MKT and has been chosen to build the all-new 2015 global Ford Edge, which will go on sale early next year. The 2015 Ford Edge will be exported to more than 100 countries from Oakville, Ontario.

"To see the transformation of Oakville Assembly into a global facility is incredible. We're building on our strong team to support greater complexities in our systems, processes and technologies," said Will Cowell, Oakville Assembly plant manager.  "Oakville Assembly has a bright future built through a deep commitment to Canada by Ford and strong partnerships with Unifor and government.” 

The 2015 Ford Edge is all new from wheels to roof and is loaded with more technology, higher levels of craftsmanship and greatly improved vehicle dynamics. It showcases Ford’s best technology, more driver-assist features, improved performance and is the first Ford model line with a standard EcoBoost engine. 

Investment in auto manufacturing directly benefits the Canadian economy. It is estimated every auto job generates up to 10 supporting jobs. Ford will also increase spending on Canadian-made auto parts by C$200 million a year, to a total of nearly C$4 billion annually.