Ford has now operated in Mexico for 100 years, and as part of the centennial celebrations on Monday, CEO Jim Farley announced that the company will expand its Global Technology and Business Center (GTBC) in México state.
Farley was joined by state governors, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson and other officials at a celebratory event in Mexico City. The company — founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, in 1903 — opened its first factory in Mexico in Mexico City in 1925.
According to the newspaper Milenio, Farley said that the plan to expand the GTBC — located within the metropolitan area of Mexico City in Naucalpan, México state — is part of Ford’s efforts to develop its capabilities in Mexico. He didn’t specify how much Ford would invest to expand the center, which opened in 2022.
Farley spoke in extremely positive terms about Ford’s presence in Mexico, where the automaker has vehicle assembly plants in Sonora and México state, and engine production plants in Chihuahua and Guanajuato.
“Our factories in Mexico have set the standards for quality and productivity for Ford,” he said.
“… We will continue competing strongly here in Mexico, making and selling vehicles that customers want to drive and which satisfy their needs,” Farley said.
“To our dealers and employees: you are the reason we will continue investing in Mexico,” he said.
Ford sold just under 21,000 cars in Mexico in the first five months of the year, according to national statistics agency INEGI. The company exported more than 183,000 vehicles from Mexico in the same period, almost nine times the number it sold here.
In September last year, Ford announced a US $273 million investment for its plant in Irapuato, Guanajuato, where motors and transaxles for electric vehicles are made.
The company makes electric vehicles at its plant in Cuautitlán, México state, where in 2022 it unveiled its first car made exclusively by women.
‘A monumental milestone’
In a press release, Ford México declared that it was celebrating “a monumental milestone” on Monday: 100 years since it became the first automotive assembler [in Mexico].”
“As the country’s first automobile manufacturer, Ford de México has played a fundamental role in the development of the industry and has contributed significantly to the economic and social fabric of Mexico,” the company said.
“Today, Ford de México is made up of more than 14,000 employees and 113 Ford and Lincoln dealerships. Mexico is home to iconic vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E, Ford Maverick, and Ford Bronco Sport,” it said.
In addition to making vehicles in Mexico, Ford said it has played a “key role” in the country’s auto parts sector, “with facilities such as the plant in Tlalnepantla, [México state], helping the emblem ‘Hecho en México‘ gain global recognition.”
“Hecho en México” eran las palabras inscritas en el interior de las cajas de “autopartes originales de Ford” que recuerdo de mi adolescencia, cuando trabajaba con mi padre en el negocio familiar de autopartes. Hoy celebramos los 100 años de @FordMX en México: un siglo… pic.twitter.com/KD2fR8cLSK
— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) June 24, 2025
Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said on the X social media site on Monday that “‘Hecho en México’ were words inscribed inside the boxes of ‘genuine Ford’ auto parts that I remember from my teenage years working with my father in our family’s auto parts business.”
“And today we celebrated 100 years of @FordMX in Mexico!” he added.
“Building jobs and communities together. Thanks Ford! And happy 100th Anniversary!”
The Global Technology and Business Center
In its press release, Ford said that its teams in Mexico “are deeply involved” in the “design, development, testing, validation and manufacture” of the company’s vehicles.
“Mexico is also a center for global services, providing experience to Ford’s global organization in critical areas such as information technology, product development, finances, marketing, sales and service, purchases, human resources and Ford Credit,” the company said.
“A clear example of Mexico’s talent is the Global Technology and Business Center (GTBC), established in 2022. As one of Ford’s three global centers, the GTBC in Mexico is a powerhouse for product development, services, and process engineering,” Ford said.
“… It houses the largest automotive engineering center in Mexico and one of the largest in Latin America, employing a team of engineers who work across the entire spectrum of automotive engineering,” the company said.
Ford llegó a México hace 100 años. Hoy seguimos abriendo camino, a un gran país.#FordMexico100años pic.twitter.com/W3wEqA54E7
— Ford de México (@FordMX) June 23, 2025
Ford’s ‘Education in Movement’ program
Ford also announced on Monday that it would expand its “Education in Movement” program in Mexico “through three different actions that will provide more opportunities for students.”
The company said it will allocate an additional US $2 million to its scholarship initiative for “outstanding students,” through which it supports young people attending educational institutions from primary school to university.
Ford also said it would build two new primary schools: one in Mexicali, Baja California, and another near the GTBC in México state. The company has funded the construction of 212 primary schools in Mexico over the past 59 years, but none since 2017, according to the El Universal newspaper.
Ford said that its third education-related “action” would be restoring and maintaining its existing schools.
“Investing in education is the promise of a better future and today it is possible thanks to every person who buys a Ford or Lincoln vehicle,” Farley said.
“Together we will continue building a future in which education is accessible, in which every child has the opportunity to dream and achieve their goals,” he said.
With reports from Milenio and El Universal
