ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. says it's hiring 1,500 new workers at its Russian operations to help meet Russian consumers' growing appetite for cars.
The company says in a statement posted on its Russian Web site that production will increase to 125,000 vehicles.
That's nearly double the current volume of the plant located outside St. Petersburg. About 2,000 workers are employed there.
The company also said Tuesday it would add the Ford Mondeo sedan to the plant's production beginning next year.
The plant's primary product -- the Focus -- is highly popular among Russia's growing middle class.
The expansion is a bit of good news for Ford, which has shuttered plants and cut jobs in North America.
