Loading ...Ford Company plans to start at mid-2009 at the Craiova-based car plant the production of commercial vehicle Transit Connect, said on March 21 in Craiova (southern Romania), president of Ford Europe, John Fleming, at the ceremony marking the takeover of the plant.
Ford’s official said that in 2010 the production of a small-class vehicle is to start in Craiova. The model will be produced only in Romania and will be exported to the entire Europe.
‘’We’ll start the transformation of the plant in Craiova almost immediately,’’ said the president of Ford Europe, who welcomed the plant’s workers in the big Ford family.
Fleming stressed the company’s commitment of investing 677 million euros and creating new jobs.
Ford Motor Company, is, as of Friday, the majority stakeholder of former car plant Automobile Craiova. The company paid on Friday 57 million euros for the acquisition of a 72.4 percent stake in the plant.
The transaction occurred during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Craiova-based plant, by the signing of the official documents by Sebastian Vladescu, president of the Privatisation Commission of Automobile Craiova and Lyle Watters,, strategy director of Ford Europe.
Attending the ceremony were Romania’s President Traian Basescu, PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and president of Ford Europe, John Fleming.
‘‘The plant joins other seven assembly plants and 13 plant of production of engines, car parts (including joint venture companies), transmissions from the entire Europe. All our plants are characterised by the highest quality and efficiency standards. On an investment worth 675 million euros, we are determined to turn the plant in Craiova into an internationally competitive state-ofthe art car production centre,’’ said Fleming.
According to a release of the company, in order to assist the entire integration of the Craiovabased plant into the Ford Production System, Ford Europe designated a managerial team to work together with the incumbent management of the plant. The team will be headed by Dioni Campos, who has a rich experience in the field. Dioni Campos will be the president of Ford Romania.
Ford agreed with the incumbent customers to continue the car production, as well as the production of engines and transmissions at least by the end of 2008. Besides, Ford pledged to meet all its legal commitments in Romania about the production of car parts for the cars previously manufactured in the plant and which are still in use.
The works for the modernisation of the plant are to start soon. The projects, which will be gradually implemented, include the automation of existing production lines, upgrade of car bodies’ section and of the other sections of the plant.
President Traian Basescu on February 17 signed the decree on the enactment of Law privatising the Automobile Craiova company. The law was adopted early that month by the plenum of the Chamber of Deputies.
The proper takeover of the Craiova-based plant by Ford Europe was postponed for almost a year, following the investigation started last autumn by the European Commission. At the end of February, the European Commission called on Romania to retrieve the 27-million-euro funds, representing illegal aid for the privatisation of Automobile Craiova.
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