Ford Chrysler on Thursday said that it has invested $2bn and hired 1200 additional workers at its Windsor assembly plant in Ontario, Canada to produce its next generation minivan, the Pacifica.
With this new hiring, Windsor plant will have more than 6000 employees and FCA Canada's operations will have a total workforce of about 11,000 in total.
The additional workforce is to develop and manufacture its new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid minivans and Dodge Grand Caravan at the 4.4 million-square-foot plant.
2017 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid were announced in January, at the North American International Auto Show, 2016 held at Detroit.
The company plans to bring out these hybrid minivans to its dealers across the US and Canada by May this year.
FCA Canada CEO, Reid Bigland said: "As a Canadian and head of Fiat Chrysler Canada, I'm very proud to be a part of almost 100,000 Canadians who are dependent upon our organization for their livelihood, and we're only getting stronger, not only from an investment standpoint but from a new vehicle sales standpoint."
He continued, "In a time when good jobs are hard to come by, I'm very proud that we're doing our part here in Ontario, in Windsor and for the Canadian economy."
Pacifica minivan will be built on new platform which will later be offered in both gas and hybrid models.
The company has been building minivans for last three decades after commencing production of these iconic vehicles in 1980s.
FCA head of Passenger Car Brands - Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA - North America, Timothy Kuniskis said: "From the first generation minivan in the 1980s, to the all-new Pacifica, the minivan has "continued to innovate, evolve and carve out a very unique section of the industry."
Windsor Mayor, Drew Dilkens told Windsorstar: "It's great news for our unemployment rate."
"With each assembly job created there are nine other people who rely on that. So, it's great news for our country, our province and certainly for the City of Windsor."
Image: New 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.. Photo: Courtesy of FCA
