Governor Signs Bill To Entice Ford To Remain In Hazelwood

A bill whose goal is to encourage the Ford Motor Company to keep open its assembly plant in Hazelwood has been signed into law by Governor Holden. Senator John Loudon of Ballwin sponsored the legislation in the Senate. He says this will enable state negotiators to come up with incentives that might keep Ford’s plant in Missouri. Ford had previously announced its plan to move production of the Ford Explorer and the Lincoln Aviator from Hazelwood to its plant in Louisville, Kentucky, by August of 2005. The incentive package would include the creation of an enterprise zone to allow Ford to take advantage of certain tax breaks. It would also make Ford eligible for re-training money for existing employees.