• Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant this week welcomes nearly 1,000 employees as preparation to build the all-new 2015 Ford Transit gets under way; 175 additional employees to start by March 2014

• Overall this year, Ford is creating more than 5,000 new jobs, including 3,300 salaried positions – its largest hiring initiative since 2000; new jobs build on more than 14,000 Ford jobs in North America in the past two years

• On sale this summer, the all-new Ford Transit is a lineup of full-size vans that pairs Ford’s legendary durability with greater functionality, best-in-class ownership costs and best-in-class fuel efficiency

Ford this week begins welcoming nearly 1,000 new employees at its Kansas City Assembly Plant to prepare for the launch of the all-new Ford Transit that goes on sale in the United States this summer.

The company also is announcing that 175 additional employees will be hired by March to help build the new Transit. The new employees put Ford Motor Company on the top 10 list of Missouri employers.

The all-new Transit builds on its more than 45 years of heritage in Europe, where it is the best-selling medium commercial vehicle nameplate. On sale this summer, Transit will offer the widest choice of roof heights, wheelbases and body lengths to maximize flexibility, plus a full suite of onboard features and technologies that are intuitive, easy to operate and designed for business. Three proven powertrains will offer best-in-class mileage with plenty of performance to get the job done, while also providing alternative fuel options.

Transit is part of an unprecedented product year for Ford Motor Company. It is one of 16 new North American products – and 23 global products – Ford will launch in 2014, triple the number of new products Ford launched last year in North America.

Transit eventually will replace Ford E-Series, which has reigned as America’s best-selling van for 35 years.

“For decades, Ford E-Series has been the leading choice among business owners for a tough, durable cargo vehicle that also delivers unmatched flexibility and capability,” said John Ruppert, Ford general manager, commercial vehicle sales and marketing. “Transit is the natural successor to E-Series, taking flexibility and capability to new levels, while also adding in superior fuel efficiency.”

Kansas City Assembly Plant is home of the 2014 F-150 and will begin producing the all-new 2015 F-150 in the first quarter of 2015. The 1,000 employees announced today are part of more than 2,000 jobs that have been added at the plant to meet growing demand for Ford trucks, and to launch production of the all-new Ford Transit van. To prepare for the new van, 300 employees started work at the plant in late 2013, with an additional 300 workers joining the week of Jan. 6 and 400 more this week.

Jobs at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant increased more than 35 percent year-over-year, with approximately 3,400 employees in 2013 and more than 4,600 who will report for work by March. The new jobs also make Ford the top auto employer in Kansas City.

Overall this year, Ford is creating more than 5,000 new jobs in the U.S., including 3,300 salaried positions. It is the largest hiring initiative for the company since 2000, and builds on more than 14,000 jobs Ford has created during the past two years in North America.

Ford Transit

Transit first was sold in 1965, and is the best-selling commercial vehicle in the UK for 48 years. More than 7 million Transit vans have been sold globally. Like the venerable E-Series, the all-new Transit is Built Ford Tough, offering drivers the power, durability and capability they need to get the job done efficiently.

Transit also brings customers more choices than ever from a Ford van. Cargo volume ranges from about 250 cubic feet to almost 500 cubic feet – more than twice the volume of today’s standard E-Series – saving customers the time and hassle of a second trip and associated fuel costs. Ford Transit will achieve an average of 25 percent better fuel economy and haul at least 300 pounds more than today’s E-Series.

For more information on the 2015 Ford Transit, click here.

Committed to Kansas City

The additional jobs at Kansas City Assembly Plant come as Ford continues to retool and expand the facility through a $1.1 billion investment for Transit production. When Transit production begins nearly 275 suppliers nationally and six suppliers locally will grow their businesses through job creation and manufacturing investment.

“With Ford hiring the 1,000th worker to work on the Transit, it’s clear that our efforts to rebuild Missouri’s auto sector continue to pay real dividends for Missouri families in the Kansas City region and across our state,” said Gov. Jay Nixon. “As governor, I greatly appreciate Ford’s strong and growing investment in our state and the outstanding workers who will build this next-generation vehicle right here in Missouri.”