Ford Suppliers Add 5,500 Jobs to Support Global Launch of All-New Ford Focus

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• New Focus suppliers are adding 5,500 jobs around the world to produce next generation of Ford's global car

• Next-generation Ford Focus has 80 percent parts commonality and uses 75 percent of the same supply base globally

• Ford is working more closely than ever with global suppliers, improving quality and lowering costs

As the all-new Ford Focus gets set to hit dealer showrooms across Europe and North America, Ford's global supply network is expanding to meet the needs of the vehicle's international launch.

Of the 310 suppliers in 22 countries making parts for the new Focus, many are adding jobs, facilities and equipment in local communities to produce the vehicle. Others have been able to maintain employment levels as a result of Focus sourcing. Among the major Focus suppliers alone, 5,500 jobs have been added at facilities in North America, Europe and Asia to produce parts for the new Focus.

"Suppliers are critical to the success of the new Focus, and they are stepping up to support Ford in this important launch," said Tony Brown, group vice president, Ford Global Purchasing.

Developed in Europe for sale in more than 120 markets worldwide, the new Focus is a key part of the One Ford plan to leverage the company's global assets. Production is under way at Ford's Saarlouis Assembly Plant in Germany and at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. New Focus production will be expanded to Ford's plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, later this year. Production in the Asia Pacific region will begin in 2012, when new Ford plants come on line in Chongqing, China, and Rayong, Thailand.

Focus, which is part of the company's new global C-car platform, also sets new benchmarks for supplier component commonality. Eighty percent of the car's parts and components are common around the world. Three-quarters of the supply base for the new Focus will be the same at the five plants where the vehicle will ultimately be built. In addition, 65 percent of the value of Focus is sourced to suppliers in the Aligned Business Framework (ABF), the highest of any global vehicle.

"The new Focus raises the bar for Ford and our suppliers in terms of common parts and global processes that will pay off with higher quality and lower costs," said Brown. "It also represents a new era in how we work with our supply base. The high level of communication, early information sharing and data transparency between Ford and our supply base is paying off for all of us as we move into the global launch."

Below are examples of major Ford suppliers that are expanding or maintaining operations to supply key components to support the Focus launch. Suppliers and their contributions to the Focus include:

• Robert Bosch LLC: supplying control units, fuel rail assemblies, high pressure pumps, sensors, throttle body assemblies, fuel delivery modules, engine cooling modules, alternators, front and rear wiper systems, airbag control devices, multi-functional displays, and DC/DC converters.  Using a global platform approach, more than 10 of Bosch's plants worldwide are supporting the Focus launch.

• Continental: supplying brake components, engine control parts, cameras for lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, high-beam controls, traffic sign recognition systems, short-range lidar sensors for emergency braking for city areas, door control units, access control systems, tires, hoses, axle boots and steering gaiters. Continental is adding 30 jobs in various locations throughout Europe and 60 jobs at U.S. locations. It is also expanding facilities in Henderson, N.C.; Las Colinas and Guadalajara, Mexico; and Frenstat, Czech Republic.

• Faurecia: supplying instrument panels, consoles, door panel parts and hot-end emissions control components. Faurecia is adding 350 jobs in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as at facilities in South America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. All told, Faurecia has 1,600 employees supporting Focus production and has committed $185 million for its industrial and development efforts.  

• GETRAG FORD Transmissions (GFT): supplying the PowerShift transmission. GFT added 100 positions at its Kechnec, Slovakia, manufacturing facility. The additional people will support added work at the plant, including the Ford Focus.

• Johnson Controls (JCI): supplying seat systems and instrument clusters. JCI is adding 140 jobs at facilities in Asia. Future expansion is also planned at its Bridgewater Interiors joint venture in Detroit. Bridgewater is a minority-owned business enterprise.

• Lear Corp.: supplying wiring, body control modules, terminals and connectors. Lear invested $52 million to add a facility in Thailand and expand a current plant in China. It is also adding 4,400 positions to support the business.

• TRW Automotive: supplying electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) systems. TRW is adding 115 jobs at its U.S. plants. It is also adding three new assembly lines to support Focus production in Gelsenkirchen, Germany; Nove Mesto, Slovakia; and Marion, Va., with supporting equipment in Rogersville, Tenn.

• Tenneco: supplying cold-end emission control systems, resonators, underbody converters, catalysts, diesel particulate filters, and front and rear shock absorbers. Tenneco is supporting Focus production from seven manufacturing facilities in Marshall, Mich.; Saarlouis, Germany; Valencia, Spain; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Celaya, Mexico; Chongqing, China; and St. Petersburg, Russia. To date, about 450 employees are supporting the platform in locations where it has launched.

• Visteon Corp.: supplying climate, electronics, interior and lighting components. Visteon is adding 133 jobs at facilities in the U.S., Mexico and China. All told, Visteon has 1,279 workers supporting Focus work and has invested more than $12 million.

Focus production is also having an impact in local communities as midsize suppliers expand. Flex-N-Gate, a minority-owned supplier of fascias, is adding 87 workers at its facility in Evart, Mich.; Inergy, which produces fuel tanks, is adding 30 jobs at its facility in Adrian, Mich.; and Piston Automotive, a minority-owned supplier of cooling module assemblies, is adding 16 jobs at its facility in Redford, Mich.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company