Ford Motor Company is set to invest up to €200 million (about $234 million US) at the Craiova Assembly Plant in Romania to support production of a second, yet-unannounced vehicle in addition to the Ford EcoSport crossover currently built there. The added production is expected to add another 1,500 or so jobs at the facility, bringing its total workforce to 5,900. In addition to the EcoSport, Ford’s plant in Craiova, Romania also builds 1.0-liter EcoBoost engines.
The assembly plant ceased production of the now-discontinued B-MAX multi-purpose vehicle just last year.
Ford first acquired the Craiova Assembly Plant from the Romanian government in 2008, after it had stopped serving Daewoo Motors. Since that time, the automaker has invested nearly €1.3 billion into the plant; with this new investment, that total will swell to €1.5 billion. The factory boasts more than 550 robots helping with paint, body, and trim and chassis operations.
“This new investment will add to our evolving line-up of exciting new models manufactured in Europe and continues the transformation of our Craiova facility,” says Ford Europe President Steven Armstrong. “The addition of this second vehicle is a testament to the operational flexibility of our Craiova plant and reflects the strong partnerships we have with local suppliers and the community.”
Ford will announce the Craiova plant’s new model and production start date closer to launch.
Comment
This is a testament to Ford’s unAmerican ways now. Keep your money here, export there. You have the tax breaks now.