Ford Motor Co. will invest $1 billion to construct a new paint shop at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, with groundbreaking planned by the end of 2024, the company announced Thursday. The project marks a significant expansion of Ford’s manufacturing footprint in Kentucky, where the automaker has produced vehicles since 1913.
The new paint shop will replace the existing facility, modernizing one of Ford’s most critical U.S. manufacturing operations. Ford President and CEO Jim Farley stated in a press release that the investment reflects the company’s confidence in Kentucky’s workforce and its commitment to American manufacturing. Gov. Andy Beshear praised the decision, calling it a testament to Ford’s longstanding partnership with the state.
The announcement follows Ford’s recent $2 billion investment to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant into the future home of its Universal EV Platform. Earlier this year, Ford also invested in an EV plant in Glendale, Kentucky, in partnership with a South Korean company, though the partnership dissolved amid lower-than-expected EV demand. The site will now be repurposed for battery energy storage systems production.
Ford’s decision to proceed with the paint shop investment comes two days after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy raised concerns about the automaker’s ties to Chinese companies, which the Trump administration argued could pose risks to U.S. automotive industry security. Ford dismissed the criticism as a “wrongheaded attempt to capture headlines”, emphasizing its role as the top-producing automaker in the U.S. and its focus on domestic manufacturing.
The Kentucky Truck Plant is a key facility for Ford, producing high-demand models such as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The new paint shop is expected to enhance production efficiency and align with Ford’s broader strategy to modernize its U.S. manufacturing base amid evolving industry demands.
Construction is slated to begin later this year, though Ford has not yet provided a timeline for completion. The company did not immediately respond to requests for additional details on the project’s expected duration or operational impact.