According to Mujdat Tiryaki, the promises made by the new owner of the plant in Craiova, Ford Otosan, are in the process of being honored, the first step being taken with the launch of the new generation Ford Courier in Transit and Tourneo versions.
“Last year, in July, we bought the Ford plant in Craiova and also then we announced the investment that will be made there – 490 million euros – and we committed to launch a new commercial vehicle Courier – Transit and Tourneo. We also said that we will increase the capacity of the plant. All this is happening. We were very happy to host a few days ago in Craiova a lot of distinguished visitors to launch the first new vehicle, the Ford Courier. It is a wonderful vehicle and we expect it to be successful in the market. We will continue to honor our commitments one by one”, said Mujdat Tiryaki, president of Ford Otosan Romania.
At the same time, the one who manages the destinies of the factory in Craiova explained, during the sixth edition of the Automotive Industry Forum, that before his company, like the other car manufacturers, there are a lot of challenges, some of them extremely complex.
“Among the challenges we see at the moment are the unpredictability of regulations, the complexity of systems, rising energy prices and other costs. Supply chain management is also an issue. All this has become a habit and with ups and downs we manage it. It shows us that flexibility is very important. I must mention that our main concern now is preparing for next year and the next five years. Flexibility keeps us in the right direction, but we need to prepare growth plans, budget, etc. And it’s hard to predict what it will be, what environmental regulations there will be, for example. The automotive industry is in full swing, we are moving completely to electric propulsion and autonomous and connected vehicles. It is very difficult to predict the speed with which the change will take place, and that is why preparing for the coming years is the most complex challenge we see”, noted Mujdat Tiryaki.
The Ford Otosan official also stated that the plans for the next period are being materialized, which involve both the launch of new products such as the electric versions of the recently launched Ford Courier and the Ford Puma SUV, as well as the increase in production capacity.
According to the president of Ford Otosan Romania, “for this year and next year we are ready, I would say – we fulfill our promises, we deliver new vehicles and we will produce the electric versions for Ford Courier and Ford Puma. In terms of production, last year we had a record for the Craiova plant, despite the transition process related to the acquisition of the plant. This year we expect a new record, and next year we will produce even more. And the engine factory in Craiova had a record production, and next year will be about the same. So our business today is growing and we continue to invest”.
However, Mujdat Tiryaki drew attention during the event organized by The Diplomat and that “we must have internal innovation programs. Romania should not be an attraction point for investors only because of the low cost of production. We need to become sustainable and thus add value. It all starts with the culture within the company. And this is not simple. We need to be aware that people need space to be creative. And let’s instill in employees the idea of having an entrepreneurial mindset”.
The plant in Craiova, now belonging to Ford Otosan, produced 195,237 cars last year, over 31,000 more than in 2021. By the end of September 2023, the same plant assembled 141,330 units, and the start of assembly activities of the Ford Courier model ( Transit and Tourneo) together with Ford Puma create the conditions for an increase in pace that could lead, as Ford president Otosan says, to surpassing the record reached in 2022.
Read also:
– The Ford Courier range has officially entered the Craiova plant’s portfolio, along with the Puma SUV
– The future Ford Puma, camouflaged, more and more often in front of the cameras
2023-11-09 20:09:32
#Economica.net #President #Ford #Otosan #Romania #point #attraction #investors #costs
