(April 6, 2016) MEXICO CITY — Further increasing its competitiveness, Ford is investing $1.6 billion in a new small car plant in Mexico, building a new manufacturing site in San Luis Potosi State. Ford will begin construction this summer. The new plant will create 2,800 additional direct jobs by 2020.

Specific vehicles being produced at the new facility will be announced later.

This investment comes during Ford’s 91st year in Mexico, including manufacturing vehicles since 1925. Ford and its 116 dealers this year also are celebrating 50 years of strong educational programs, including the construction and maintenance of nearly 200 rural schools throughout the country.

"Today’s announcement...is a disappointment and very troubling," UAW President Dennis Williams said in a statement. "For every investment in Mexico it means jobs that could have and should have been available right here in the USA."

Ford's investment also comes amid a presidential election where the the leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, has publicly pressured Ford to drop its plans to expand in Mexico.

The investment is part of the company’s One Ford global product and manufacturing plan. During the past five years, Ford has invested more than $10.2 billion in Ford facilities alone in the U.S. In addition, Ford has invested $2.7 billion in facilities and supplier tooling in Spain, $2.4 billion in Germany and — with the company's partners — $4.8 billion in China. All of these investments are part of the company’s plan to serve global markets and deliver profitable growth.

Mexico is Ford’s fourth largest vehicle manufacturing site for global customers — behind the U.S., China and Germany. Vehicles produced in Mexico also serve customers in the U.S., Canada, China, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and South Korea.