Remarks as prepared for delivery by Ford President and CEO Jim Farley at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.

Kentucky makes the world’s greatest baseball bats, distills the finest American whiskey, raises the fastest thoroughbreds and is known for some incredible basketball teams.

But in my book, Kentucky’s greatest contribution to America happens right here. The vehicles assembled at Kentucky Truck Plant generate more revenue per year than either Southwest Airlines or Marriott. It’s a shining example of American manufacturing.

Our team here is 9,000 strong. You set the standard! And you know how important these vehicles are to families and the people who build our country and our communities. There have been times in our history when we airlifted parts to this plant because you all were getting things done so quickly.

This plant, and all of you, prove that American manufacturing can still thrive and win. It’s the same story at Ford operations in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, New York — and soon in Tennessee.

At Ford, we believe we can — and we must — have a strong manufacturing base in America. Our country can’t afford to lose the ability to build. When our country has needed us — World Wars or pandemics — Ford was able to pivot and make tanks and bombers, and masks and shields. We even helped build Mission Control in Houston to help America win the race to the moon the same year production started at Kentucky Truck Plant.

Ford has been here in America for 120 years. There are cheaper places to do this work, no doubt about it. But that’s not who we are. Ford never left America. And I think it’s important to talk more about this, because I am not sure the American people know enough about us.

Our Ford F-Series is not just the best-selling vehicle in country — it’s the No. 1 American-assembled consumer product, period.

And we are going to keep investing and expanding in America, just like we invested $500 million in this plant to produce the all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.

Imagine if the companies importing 8 million vehicles a year into America invested in this country like Ford does, instead of putting out ads that cherry pick data to “prove” how American they supposedly are. Some people call this “America-washing” — and that’s not what we need right now. We need real commitment.

More than 80% of the vehicles Ford sells in America are assembled in America — plus we export significantly. If each of our competitors matched that commitment, it would mean 4 million more vehicles assembled in America every single year. Think about that. What a job stimulus that would be for our country!

At Ford, we have 87,000 direct employees in the U.S. And when we succeed, the impact is broad. For example, launching the new Expedition means work at 10 separate plants across the country.

Our commitment to America supports almost a million indirect jobs in the broader economy, including nearly 3,000 U.S. Ford and Lincoln dealers and 500 U.S. suppliers, which collectively employ more than 300,000 people.

If our competition matched Ford and moved auto assembly to the U.S., that would equal the production level of as many as 15 new assembly plants like this one — and that’s not even counting the supplier parks to support them. That would mean hundreds of thousands of new jobs in America. That’s what real commitment looks like.

That’s why we have been in constant communication with the Trump Administration these past few weeks, to help secure a trade policy that supports growth and not contraction of our industry.

We share the president’s vision for a strong domestic auto sector. The changes this week to the tariff plans will help ease the impact of tariffs on automakers, suppliers, and consumers. But we need to continue to work closely with the administration on a comprehensive set of policies to support our shared vision for a healthy and growing auto industry in America. We are not there yet. We must keep working until those 15 new factories are built, and all those jobs come to communities across the U.S.

It is essential that we have policies that encourage exports and ensure affordable supply chains to promote more domestic growth. Getting this right is the difference between a trade policy that promotes growth in the U.S. auto sector and a policy that limits U.S. production.

Now I want to focus on the great products coming out of Kentucky. The F-Series Super Duty you make here is the backbone of work in America. Every worksite. Every ranch. Every mining operation. Every construction crew. The people who build America don’t leave home without it. And they have you to thank for building an amazing truck.

The Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator move families in safety and style. These are the greatest SUVs we have ever made: Smart, tough, versatile, packed with new features.

We have definitely made quality Job 1 on this new Expedition and Navigator. We can never let our customers down.

The new Expedition rolling off the line today is the product of the hard work and skill of tens of thousands of people:

• The designers in Dearborn who sculpted the clay and created its modern look.
• The engineers in Dearborn who developed the rugged new Expedition Tremor and invented the new split gate — a tailgate for SUVs.
• The software engineers in Dearborn and California who created the Ford Digital Experience — a control center for families.
• The hundreds of suppliers across country.
• And most of all, the 9,000 people here at Kentucky Truck Plant.

Our first customers are telling us that they already love the new Expedition. They love the technology, the new Split Gate and the capability of the new Expedition Tremor. Our early momentum is strong, with the new Expedition turning on sales lots in under 10 days.

Let me leave you with this: The most important thing of all is the people we all serve — the people who rely on our vehicles, day in and day out, from the workers building our roads and bridges, and the first responders keeping us safe to the families taking road trips.

For 120 years, Ford has been there for our customers. It’s why we were the first to help get Americans through an uncertain time by offering employee pricing for all, so everyone in this country pays what we pay. We call it “Ford Motor Company. From America. For America.”

I’ve seen an ad campaign or two in my day, and this campaign has struck a chord with Americans — because our customers know Ford is there when it counts. So, we decided to extend our employee pricing offer through the Fourth of July weekend.

Our commitment to people also extends to our hardworking team. People who know the impact that a good job at Ford can have in the life of a family over generations. You want to see the promise of what American manufacturing can be? What it looks like when it’s making a difference? Look right here.

I’m so proud of this team. Can we give yourselves a big round of applause?

And you want to see a vehicle we can all be really proud of? Let’s watch the all-new Expedition rolling off the assembly line. From America, for America.