<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/" rel="tag">SUV</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hirings-firings/" rel="tag">Hirings/Firings/Layoffs</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/spy-shots-2011-ford-explorer/"><img hspace="0" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/2011explorer630.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Explorer Spy Shots - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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In a bit of good news, always welcomed in today's battered automotive sector, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has announced it will add 1,200 jobs to the Chicago area when it moves production of the all-new 2011 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Ford Explorer</a> to its underutilized Illinois plant. The announcement is not a surprise - the plans have been in place for about a year - as the automaker has spent around $400 million retrofitting the plant in anticipation of the upcoming SUV's arrival. Experts say the Chicago plant will likely have to add a second shift to accommodate the Explorer production.<br />
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The Chicago plant has been making the redesigned <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/taurus">Ford Taurus</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mks">Lincoln MKS</a> since last year. The 2011 Ford Explorer, redesigned on a smaller and more fuel-efficient car unibody platform, is anticipated to arrive in dealers in August or September and will likely be the plant's highest-volume vehicle. <em>Thanks for the tip, Leonard!</em><br />
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[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Next-gen Ford Explorer will bring 1,200 new jobs to Chicago</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/">Next-gen Ford Explorer will bring 1,200 new jobs to Chicago</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19332206/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Explorer Spy Shots - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
In a bit of good news, always welcomed in today's battered automotive sector, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> has announced it will add 1,200 jobs to the Chicago area when it moves production of the all-new 2011 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Ford Explorer</a> to its underutilized Illinois plant. The announcement is not a surprise - the plans have been in place for about a year - as the automaker has spent around $400 million retrofitting the plant in anticipation of the upcoming SUV's arrival. Experts say the Chicago plant will likely have to add a second shift to accommodate the Explorer production.<br />
<br />
The Chicago plant has been making the redesigned <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/taurus">Ford Taurus</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mks">Lincoln MKS</a> since last year. The 2011 Ford Explorer, redesigned on a smaller and more fuel-efficient car unibody platform, is anticipated to arrive in dealers in August or September and will likely be the plant's highest-volume vehicle. <em>Thanks for the tip, Leonard!</em><br />
<br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Next-gen Ford Explorer will bring 1,200 new jobs to Chicago</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/">Next-gen Ford Explorer will bring 1,200 new jobs to Chicago</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19332206/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/26/report-new-ford-explorer-will-add-1-200-jobs-in-chicago/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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