Jump to content

Ford not closing any European Plants


Recommended Posts

No.

 

Just harsh reality.

 

No it's not, it's just your opinion. Of course, you're aware that Ford has made commitments to the Ontario government over incentive funding over the years. Plus, while the CAW cost may be problematic, you're also aware that the geographical location of Oakville offers some advantages.

 

The point is, pulling out of Oakville might not really be possible. We'll know, soon enough. And who knows, maybe Ford might develop product that will set records, too. Try to cheer up. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 71
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

i work in Dagenham and I heard today from one of the lads on the shop floor that there will be a "big announcement about Genk" to be made next week.

I hope so regardless of what they decide, endless speculation and perceived inaction is crippling to confidence.

Maybe Genk dropping shift, laying off workers, getting costs under control with a view of building next models elsewhere..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What the barking eff are you barking about?

 

"Let's cancel 200k units (1% of the NA market) of high ATP product and close a plant!"

 

You're right. Realistically, Ford is committed to Oakville. There is nowhere else to build the next-gen Edge. If Ford were going to change sourcing, those actions would have already begun. I don't think there is room anywhere else, and Ford isn't exactly ready for a new greenfield plant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, you're aware that Ford has made commitments to the Ontario government over incentive funding over the years. Plus, while the CAW cost may be problematic, you're also aware that the geographical location of Oakville offers some advantages.

Yes and yes.

 

The point is, pulling out of Oakville might not really be possible. We'll know, soon enough. And who knows, maybe Ford might develop product that will set records, too. Try to cheer up. :)

 

Thanks, I needed that !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope so regardless of what they decide, endless speculation and perceived inaction is crippling to confidence.

Maybe Genk dropping shift, laying off workers, getting costs under control with a view of building next models elsewhere..

 

Agreed, the Flemish newspaper articles are full of articles from very worried factory workers. Even though Ford brass has announced that the plant will not close.

Also end of June was an announcement that the Genk-based Ford assembling unit will receive €28 million in aid from the government of Flanders to build the new Mondeo line. Ford’s commitment to building the model in Genk assures full employment levels (about 4,500) at the plant until 2020. Further aid is expected for the S-Max and Galaxy vehicles.

My guess is Ford will announce lay offs, similar to what happened back in 2003 at the Genk Plant.The work for the next Mondeo at Genk has already began so I cannot see them scrapping this invested work and moving it somewhere else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I expect layoffs as well. 4,500 employees is far too many for the volume of those products.

Yes, I'd expect that Ford can wind back that number significantly and still keep Genk going until they decide what to do long term.

We can expect the plant will be down balanced and production right sized to match current market sales as a immediate measure

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been reading the news feeds from Valencia, Genk & Southampton and both Valencia and Genk have had Ford brass (John Fleming Genk) & (Alan Mulally while in Valencia August 7) make announcements that their plants will not close. But not a word from Ford management for the Southampton workers.

Edited by MKII
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been reading the news feeds from Valencia, Genk & Southampton and both Valencia and Genk have had Ford brass (John Fleming Genk) & (Alan Mulally while in Valencia August 7) make announcements that their plants will not close. But not a word from Ford management for the Southampton workers.

UK is Ford Europe's biggest market and Transit is very popular there and any talk

of closing down Southampton would be a colossal mistake resulting in a huge backlash..

 

LINK

Ford Transit’s position as the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle remains unchallenged: Transit holds 17.6 per cent of the CV market for the year to date compared with 5.6 per cent for its nearest challenger. In July, Transit accounted for 18.7 per cent of the total CV market.

 

 

 

Here you go, July sales for GENK

 

Mondeo - 5,200

S-Max - 3100

Galaxy - 2100

 

 

 

LINK

Ford-Europe-Sales-July-728x1426.jpg

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So Genk made about 90,000 units YTD, but has 4,500 employees ???

 

WOW ! Needs some major cuts !

too right they do, judging by other plants,

 

Southampton = 500

Cologne = 4,188

Saarlouis = 1,276

Valencia = 1,797

 

Genk sticks out like a sore thumb...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

too right they do, judging by other plants,

 

Southampton = 500

Cologne = 4,188

Saarlouis = 1,276

Valencia = 1,797

 

Genk sticks out like a sore thumb...

 

Remember that Genk also sends CKD production to Russia (Mondeo, S-Max, and Galaxy), China (S-Max), Taiwan (Mondeo), and Vietnam (Mondeo).

 

Also, those sales are only for 22 countries in the Europe. You could probably double that number to get the full sales (for in other countries plus the CKD units) that the plant gives to Ford.

 

Russia sells above 1,500 Mondeos a month. Australia sells about 500 Mondeos a month. All the other countries add up.

Edited by ausrutherford
Link to comment
Share on other sites

too right they do, judging by other plants,

 

Southampton = 500

Cologne = 4,188

Saarlouis = 1,276

Valencia = 1,797

 

Genk sticks out like a sore thumb...

 

Where did you get your numbers from?

 

Ford Corp info

Saarlouis = 6,524

Cologne = 4,405

Valencia (Spain) = 6,180 (according to Mulally adding 1,000 new jobs re the new added products - Kuga and Transit + the company has earmarked Euro 812 million for production of the Kuga and the Transit Connect. + few more millions to get the C-Max hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid rolling

Southampton = 1,120

Source http://corporate.for...operations-list

1344350541_0.jpg

Edited by MKII
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Remember that Genk also sends CKD production to Russia (Mondeo, S-Max, and Galaxy), China (S-Max), Taiwan (Mondeo), and Vietnam (Mondeo).

 

Also, those sales are only for 22 countries in the Europe. You could probably double that number to get the full sales (for in other countries plus the CKD units) that the plant gives to Ford.

 

Russia sells above 1,500 Mondeos a month. Australia sells about 500 Mondeos a month. All the other countries add up.

The sales I quoted are from the E19 countries and don't include Russia ect., the Russian Mondeos are all 4-door type and as you know,

St Petersburg has a stamping plant and I suspect that they do their own stampings. FoA's sales vary between 300 and 500 sales mostly

because of restricted diesel supplies from FoE, The Mondeo is just not that popular in Asia...China maybe but not Asia.

 

Assuming that mondeo sees significant Volume increases across the total 51 markets as compared to E19 or E22 is rather tenuous and

in the long run FAPA will either build Mondeo or its own version of CD4 large car. FoE is just too difficult to deal with regarding supply...

 

I understand what you're saying with Mondeo exports but the cumulative amounts are nowhere near what they used to be and now that

Hermosillo and Flat Rock will be supplying the Americas, they might be able to cover more of Sth America and more global markets too.. :)

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be worse if they put as much cash on the hood as the other automakers, though the market share would be up.

Yes VW group in particular has been gaining market share by massive discounts on their vehicles and trying to starve out the competition.

Strategy seems to be like GM, keep your Factory order books full and sales activity as high as possible, their goal is being more than No.1

it looks like they are actively tryng to kill off competitions market share as well.......could this be seen as a precursor to VW group monopoly?

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The sales I quoted are from the E19 countries and don't include Russia ect., the Russian Mondeos are all 4-door type and as you know,

St Petersburg has a stamping plant and I suspect that they do their own stampings. FoA's sales vary between 300 and 500 sales mostly

because of restricted diesel supplies from FoE, The Mondeo is just not that popular in Asia...China maybe but not Asia.

 

Assuming that mondeo sees significant Volume increases across the total 51 markets as compared to E19 or E22 is rather tenuous and

in the long run FAPA will either build Mondeo or its own version of CD4 large car. FoE is just too difficult to deal with regarding supply...

 

I understand what you're saying with Mondeo exports but the cumulative amounts are nowhere near what they used to be and now that

Hermosillo and Flat Rock will be supplying the Americas, they might be able to cover more of Sth America and more global markets too.. :)

 

Hermosillo has been supplying South America except for Argentina since 2006. I think Genk supplies Argentina due to some tax issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hermosillo has been supplying South America except for Argentina since 2006. I think Genk supplies Argentina due to some tax issue.

I'm not saying close Genk right now, just that 4,500 people are probably not needed for the entire production.

2005 Latin American trade agreements are still incomplete but if talks restart, then Argentina could come back to the Americas

 

Ford's forward view of Mondeo fusion probably sees FAPA, Russia and South America looking after their own regions,

if that's true, then GENK's combined production is probably going to fall even further..

Edited by jpd80
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ford's forward view of Mondeo fusion probably sees FAPA, Russia and South America looking after their own regions, if that's true, then GENK's combined production is probably going to fall even further..

The Fusion is wildly successful in the US and if the new one does not continue that sales trend the company will be in big trouble.

 

I wonder what sales of the Mondeo are in the rest of the world, broken down by country. Perhaps Ford should drop the Mondeo in SE Asia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
...if I've learned nothing else, it's that when Ford states something as "presently" or just doesn't state a specific future date/range,

it's only good FOR THAT MOMENT.

 

ex: when Ford said on Aug. 2 that they have no plans at present to bring Lincoln to China (Bloomberg)

that^

expired at 12:01am Aug. 3 and no longer has any meaning.

my comment above COULD also apply to the case of closing a plant in Europe, I fully expect a Fomoco spokesperson to say something about "AS A LAST RESORT" in about a month

with the Closure Announcement about another month after that...

 

groucho.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...