A worker assembles a 2011 Ford Motor Co. Explorer at a Plant in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010.
The move will add 500 jobs at Ford's Chicago-area Assembly and Stamping plants, bringing the total number of employees at the two factories to 5,800, the company said Thursday.
The company also plans to install some new manufacturing technology, including 3D-printing tools and robots.
Rival General Motors is in the process of cutting production at plants in the United States and Canada as part of its own turnaround plan.
GM has been faced with underutilized factory capacity in plants that had heavily focused on building less popular sedans and compact cars.
GM said it has offered jobs to hundreds of hourly workers at new plants building vehicles in growing segments, such as SUVs and crossovers.
- Ford Investing $1 Billion, Adding 500 Jobs in ChicagoU.S. News & World Report
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- Ford Is Investing $1 Billion in Plants Making Its High-Profit SUVBloomberg
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- Ford is investing $1 billion in Chicago plants making its high-profit SUVCrain's Chicago Business
- Ford Is Investing $1 Billion at Its Chicago Plants, Will Add 500 WorkersTheStreet.com
- Ford is investing $1 billion and hiring 500 new employees at two Chicago factoriesBusiness Insider
