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After Loss Of Ford Focus, Sonora Officials Look To New Investments

Officials in Sonora, Arizona’s neighboring state in Mexico, say the loss of the planned manufacturing of the Ford Focus in their state will be overshadowed by investments they expect to total $3.2 billion over the next year.

Economy Secretary Jorge Vidal says the state has or is expecting more than 50 projects in the mining, aerospace and electronics manufacturing sectors over the next year. Some of those projects -- such as parts manufacturing for a future plant for Lucid Motors in Casa Grande, Arizona-- will likely represent spill over business to Arizona and the Southwestern United States, Vidal said.

Ford is an important employer in Sonora. More than 3,000 jobs depend directly and 9,000 jobs depend indirectly on the company’s operations in the state, Vidal said. New investment for assembling the Focus would have represented $200 million, he said. 

"I mean, it was interesting," Vidal said. "But fortunately, it doesn't represent a big percentage that we are expecting of the new investment in Sonora."

Jorge Valencia was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2016 to 2019.