Ford Creates 500 New Jobs in Germany for Focus Production

Ford Motor Co.'s Saarlouis Plant in Germany and the Michigan Assembly Plant in the United States are gearing up for the manufacturing launch of the next-generation Ford Focus.

Developed in Europe for sale in more than 120 markets worldwide with 80% parts commonality, the new Focus is a key part of the "One Ford" plan to leverage the company's global assets. The Focus is built from Ford's new global C-segment platform, which will account for more than 2 million units of annual production by 2012, according to the automaker.

Nearly 500 people currently employed on agency contracts at the Ford Saarlouis Plant will be offered permanent Ford contracts ahead of the start of assembly of the new car on Dec. 6, according to Ford.

The Saarlouis Plant, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, will be the single source for next-generation Ford Focus production in Western Europe, producing all three Focus body styles. Production at the Michigan Assembly Plant will concentrate on the four-door and five-door derivatives.

Ford will further expand production in mid-2011, when the automaker's plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, begins building the new four-door and five-door models of the Focus. Production in the Asia Pacific region will begin in early 2012, when the Chongqing plant in China comes online.