LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ford Motor Co. announced the hiring of 300 new employees and a $129 million investment in the Louisville Assembly Plant to support production of the all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC.
 
Production of Lincoln’s newest vehicle began in May. MKC is the second of four all-new Lincoln vehicles being introduced by 2016, and will go on sale in China, along with the MKZ sedan, when the Lincoln brand debuts there later this year.
 
The first small vehicle ever from Lincoln, MKC is the brand’s initial entry in the small premium utility segment. Small premium utility vehicles make up the fastest-growing luxury segment, with more than 600 percent growth since 2008 and nearly 300 percent growth projected between now and 2018, according to Ford.
 
With the addition of the 300 employees, Ford is more than 75 percent of the way toward its goal of creating 12,000 hourly jobs in the U.S. by 2015. The new $129 million investment is also helping to support more than 110 suppliers across the U.S., including 17 in the commonwealth of Kentucky.
 
Lincoln MKC went on sale in May; through July, 2,895 vehicles have been sold.