The White House announced on Sunday, President Obama plans to visit Claycomo on Friday. Officials say Obama will talk about economic progress made since 2008’s financial crisis and visit the city’s Ford Assembly Plant.
Just a few years ago, workers were worried the plant would close. Ford moved production of its SUV, the Escape, to Louisville, Ky.Ford invested a billion dollars to bring in new equipment so the plant could start manufacturing full-sized vans. The company also added a third shift and 900 new jobs.
The president of the local United Auto Workers union, Jeff Wring, described the change between 2008 and now as "night and day.” "I love seeing the new hires and I love seeing new people come to work here. But all the new equipment, that's exciting. There's lots of exciting things going on here," Wring said. He's not surprised President Obama would choose to highlight the Claycomo plant and the employees Wright described as "great workers who are known for making a great product."
The White House official told 41 Action News President Obama also plans to discuss a new initiative for the middle class. They expect to release more information about that initiative and the President's visit in the next few days.Back in July, Obama spoke about education at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.
