Ford Motor Company will invest $500 million to upgrade its Lima, Ohio, Engine Plant and add 300 new jobs to support production of the all-new 2.7-liter EcoBoost specifically engineered for the next-generation 2015 Ford F-150.

Lima Engine Plant produces the 3.5-liter and 3.7-liter Duratec V6 engines for multiple Ford vehicles including Edge and Explorer utilities, as well as the Lincoln MKX crossover, MKT utility and MKZ sedan. The $500 million investment will go to a new flexible engine assembly system and renovation of 700,000 square feet of the facility for machining and assembly functions, the company said.

“Lima Engine has kept Ford and Lincoln vehicles running for nearly 60 years,” said Bruce Hettle, Ford Vice President, North America Manufacturing. “Bringing production of the new 2.7-liter EcoBoost to Lima Engine Plant helps build a solid future both for Ford and the dedicated workers in Ohio.”

Lima Engine Plant, which opened in 1957, employs more than 900 people and is one of the largest employers in Allen County. On March 13, the 3-millionth Duratec V6 was built there, and later this year the 40-millionth engine produced at the plant will roll off the assembly line.

“The new jobs at Lima Engine Plant will be a major boost to the community, and continue F-150’s reputation as one of the most American-made vehicles,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW Vice President, National Ford Department. “It’s especially exciting that these jobs will go to support a new technology like the 2.7-liter EcoBoost for the all-new F-150.”

“Our truck customers have spoken, and we continue to meet their evolving needs by providing another V6 option in the all-new 2015 F-150,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford President of The Americas. “The hardworking team at Lima Engine is thrilled to begin building one of the most technologically advanced engines ever designed for America’s No. 1 truck.” Ford’s investment in Lima follows an announcement that the company will shift production of Ford F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks from Mexico to Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, in the Cleveland area, early next year.

The high-output, twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engine, which will be built at the plant, with standard Auto Start-Stop features an entirely new design that delivers power and performance in a stronger, smarter package, the company said.

This new EcoBoost engine builds on recording-breaking customer demand for F-150 pickups equipped with V6 engines. In fact, 57 percent of new customers in 2014 have opted for either a 3.7-liter V6 or 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost to power their new F-150. Since 2010, retail registrations of light-duty pickups with V6 engines have grown more than 600 percent, with Ford F-150 directly responsible for 91 percent of this growth, according to Ford analysis of Polk retail new vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive.