New model to push Ford Romania business at EUR 5 bln

U.S carmaker Ford will use its plant located in the southwestern city of Craiova, in Romania, at full capacity once the second model enters production this year. This means 300,000 units per year and a turnover of about EUR 5 billion, Ford Europe President Steve Armstrong said, according to Ziarul Financiar.

"The biggest challenge related to Craiova plant is the logistics: delivering parts to the plant and cars from the plant. Road infrastructure is not the best, we have rail infrastructure instead, but even this needs to be improved. We are in talks with the authorities about infrastructure development in that area. Its development will help us and the suppliers that are currently not convinced to set up production facilities in the area,” Armstrong said.

Ford’s plant, which produces the EcoSport model, reached almost 142,000 units last year. The figure is three times higher than in the previous year when the plant produced the B-Max model. As a consequence, Ford’s turnover rose to at least EUR 2.5 billion last year from EUR 1 billion in 2017.

Ford recently unveiled the new Ford Puma crossover model that it will produce at Craiova starting this year.

(Photo source: Facebook / Ford Romania)