With only a few days left before the start of the Shanghai Auto Show, Ford Motor Company announced a very ambitious plan for China as the automaker aims to introduce 15 new vehicles and to double its workforce in the world's largest car market by 2015.
“Together with our partners, we are leveraging the strength of the One Ford plan and our global platforms to bring 15 new vehicles to China by 2015, reinforcing our commitment to offer a full portfolio of vehicles for our Chinese customers," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa president. "The 15 new vehicles are part of Ford’s plans to introduce 50 new products and powertrains to the Asia Pacific region by 2015,” Hinrichs added.
In order to achieve this ambitious goal, Ford will more than double the number of dealerships it has in China 340 today, to around 680. The first of the 15 new Ford models to be introduced in China is the all-new Ford Focus, which will go into production in 2012 at a brand-new $490 million plant in Chongqing that will have an initial capacity of 150,000 units a year.
Ford also announced that it will double the size of its professional workforce in China by 2015, adding 1,200 new jobs. The company will create 550 jobs this year in numerous departments including, engineering, manufacturing, marketing sales and service, finance, IT, communications, government affairs and legal division. The new jobs in China will be located at the company's operations in Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing and Nanchang.
Ford's investments in China are very important as the company expects 70 percent of its growth in the next ten years to come from its Asia Pacific and Africa region.
By Dan Mihalascu
