The Ford Motor company recently confirmed plans to build a utility van in the state of Sonora.
The company announced that it will begin building the Transit Connect — a commercial and passenger van —in Hermosillo by 2021. It is currently built in Valencia, Spain.
The Ford Fusion is the main model now assembled at the massive Hermosillo plant, but sales have been steadily declining in recent years.
“This is excellent news for us, because obviously it means more job creation,” Sonora’s Gov. Claudia Pavlovich said in reaction to the announcement.
Because it’s a new model for the plant, it also likely means more manufacturing jobs for parts suppliers, according to the governor.
The plant has roughly 2,700 workers, making it one of the most important private employers in Hermosillo. Ford says moving the model to Mexico allows the company to meet the North American content requirements of the renegotiated — but not yet approved — NAFTA agreement, known as the USMCA.
