LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 24, 2023) – Today, at the Kentucky Truck Plant, Gov. Andy Beshear joined Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley and United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders and employees to celebrate the arrival of the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty®.
Ford and more than 8,500 UAW workers at the Kentucky Truck Plant are assembling the all-new 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty, which Ford is now delivering in all trim levels to retail and commercial customers.
“It’s incredible to see production begin for the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty Truck, because it represents Ford’s longstanding commitment to Kentucky, our workers and our future,” said Gov. Beshear. “This was one of the largest investments in Jefferson County’s history, and it followed the record-shattering electric vehicle battery plant announcement in Hardin County. Together, we’re building a brighter future – and I am excited to see this iconic American company continue to succeed right here in Kentucky.”
Ford currently employs more than 12,000 people, supports nearly 120,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state and has a state gross domestic product, or GDP, contribution of $11.8 billion.
The start of production follows a recent $700 million investment that added 500 jobs for Louisville-assembled products, including the Super Duty. This investment is more evidence of Ford’s Built for America commitment.
Customers will soon experience the truck’s unprecedented levels of work capability, ingenious new technology and a suite of cloud-based services for new levels of productivity. Ford’s increased real-world vehicle testing, additional quality checks and empowered employees are key to delivering quality products and services for Super Duty customers.
“The all-new 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty is the tough-tested icon that our customers trust,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “It is the smartest and most capable truck we’ve ever built, offering must-have towing tech, embedded 5G capability, over-the-air updates plus an entire suite of available Ford Pro Intelligence solutions to help maximize uptime and accelerate productivity. And of course, its best-in-class payload and towing, more than any of our competitors, means this truck can take on any job.”
To learn more about Ford’s commitment to American production, the Ford F-Series Super Duty and initial customer deliveries read Ford’s full news release from today.
Ford’s Commitment to Kentucky
In September 2022, Gov. Beshear announced that Ford Motor Co., which has produced motor vehicles in the commonwealth for 109 years and is the largest vehicle producer in the Bluegrass State, would expand its presence in Louisville as the company prepared to produce the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty Truck. At the time, Gov. Beshear proclaimed “KenTRUCKy Day” in the commonwealth in honor of Ford’s investment and helped reveal the all-new F-Series Super Duty Truck at Churchill Downs.
On Sept. 27, 2021, Gov. Beshear and leaders from Ford Motor Co. and SK Innovation celebrated a transformative $5.8 billion investment that is creating 5,000 jobs in Hardin County. The announcement helped position Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States and is the single largest economic development project in the history of the commonwealth.
The Governor announced in December 2022 that Ford and SK On had broken ground at BlueOval SK Battery Park, which is slated to start production in 2025. Construction is on schedule at the two massive battery manufacturing facilities, which will be capable of collectively producing more than 80-gigawatt hours annually. Significant construction progress brings Ford closer to its target of producing an annual run rate of 2 million electric vehicles globally by the end of 2026.
Today’s news adds to Kentucky’s strong automotive sector.
Since the start of the Beshear administration, Kentucky has announced more than 140 automotive-related projects totaling $12.6 billion in new investments and more than 14,300 full-time jobs. The Governor thanked Ford for contributing to the fact that 1 out of every 18 workers in the U.S. automotive industry is located in Kentucky.
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