Industryweek 4451 Ford Grill

Ford Promises to Keep 1,000 Jobs at French Plant

May 24, 2013
Ford Europe vice president Jeff Wood said the main challenge for the factory was to launch production of new products given the current struggles of Europe's car sector. 

BLANQUEFORT, France - Ford pledged to maintain 1,000 jobs for five years at a factory in southwestern France under an agreement signed Friday on aid and incentives to keep the transmission plant running.

The agreement signed by representatives of Ford's management, union members, and local and regional officials clears the way for 12.5 million euros (US $16.2 million) in public aid.

The national government will also provide support in financing unemployment benefits and training.

Ford Europe vice president Jeff Wood said the main challenge for the factory, located in the town of Blanquefort, was to launch production of new products given the current struggles of Europe's car sector.

The plant is expected to begin building in July a new automatic transmission model destined for export, with others to be added next year.

Ford sold the plant to German company HZ Holding in 2009, before buying it back in January 2011.

The signature of the deal comes a day after Ford announced it would stop making vehicles at its unprofitable Australian plants in 2016 and axe 1,200 jobs.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2013

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Discover How an Eye Tracking Study Improves Training Procedures

Oct. 29, 2023
Did you know that your training processes can be streamlined by visualizing and analyzing key skills within your employee base? Find out how we use eye tracking to capture advanced...

Navigating Disruption: A Leader’s Guide to Strategy Under Uncertainty

Nov. 1, 2023
AI, sustainability, digital--industrials are facing disruptive forces that are redefining what it takes to win. What got your company where it is today won’t get you where you...

Gain a competitive edge with real-world lessons on private 5G networks

Nov. 16, 2023
The use of private networks in manufacturing applications is rapidly growing. In this paper, we present valuable insights and lessons learned from the field with the goal of enhancing...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!