Silence in Saarlouis?
Last year there was bad news for the employees of the well-known Ford factory in Saarlouis, Germany. Ford is pulling the plug after more than 50 years. There seemed to be a glimmer of hope for a while, but now there is bad news again.
Almost 54 years ago, Ford started building cars in Saarlouis and Fords are still rolling off the production line. The Escort was made there, but also the Orion, C-Max, Kuga and briefly the Fiesta. For years, however, Saarlouis has been best known for the production of the Focus. A very important factory for Europe, but it will end in 2025.
Ford promised that it would look for new work for (some of) the employees in Saarlouis and discussions have recently taken place with interested parties. According to Automobilwoche has now given the biggest contender zero appeal. A Chinese party, possibly BYD or Chery, would have been close to an agreement to take over the factory, but has now dropped out.
Bottom line, this would mean that transferring the factory to another party is no longer a realistic option. Closing the factory is closer than ever. Ford is currently considering transforming the factory into a technological innovation center, although that of course means that a large number of the employees will no longer be needed there. The intention is to retain 1,000 of the 4,400 jobs, he said Automotive News on.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl