The timing of a Ford Motor Co. announcement, while involving expansion and hiring of thousands of workers, may be raising some eyebrows rather than bringing cheers on a day when President Barack Obama focuses on jobs and the U.S. economy in an address before a joint session of Congress, notices Grumpy Editor.
The Detroit-based auto maker announced it started construction on a $1 billion manufacturing and engineering complex that will create 5,000 jobs.
Welcomed news?
Not for the U.S. where the unemployment rate remains at 9.1 percent.
Location of the new facility is in India.
The pre-Obama speech announcement may have some public relations folks blushing at Ford’s headquarters.
The new plant in Sanand in the western state of Gujarat initially will produce 240,000 vehicles and 270,000 engines a year by 2014, said Ford.
The complex highlights the auto maker’s plan “to aggressively grow the Ford brand in India,” said Michael Boneham, Ford India president.
Ford has been expanding in India with a total investment there of $2 billion to date.
The auto maker also operates a plant in Chennai, a south Indian city.
It has a capacity to produce 200,000 cars and 250,000 engines a year --- with plans to boost engine output to 330,000 by next year.
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