LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that Ford plans to invest $2 billion in additional money to the former BlueOval SK facilities in Hardin County, creating "at least" 2,100 new jobs at the plants.
In his weekly Team Kentucky address, Beshear said the full-time jobs will go toward manufacturing "energy storage systems." He said Ford agreed to the updated terms.
"This is great news for Ford, great news for Hardin County and great news for all of Kentucky," Beshear said in a news release. "Ford has been a great employer and corporate partner in our state for more than a century, and our winning partnership will continue well into the future."
Millions of taxpayer dollars were invested for infrastructure with the promise of major tax breaks and 5,000 jobs in Glendale at the BlueOval SK electric vehicle battery plant. But that all changed when the company announced in December it would lay off all 1,600 workers just four months after production began as Ford continues to scale back its electric vehicle strategy.
At the time, Ford said it planned to hire 2,100 employees for the new iteration of the Glendale plant, and a company spokesperson said all those laid off will have the "opportunity to apply" for those new jobs.
Kentucky invested $250 million in taxpayer money to bring BlueOval SK to the state. State and local leaders funded major infrastructure upgrades, including those on water and sewer systems. Hardin County alone spent $1.6 million in federal relief funds on projects tied to the battery plant.
This story may be updated.
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