Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany and the Michigan assembly plant in the US are preparing for the manufacturing launch of the next-generation Ford Focus.
The new Focus is built from Ford’s new global C-segment platform, which will account for more than 2m units of annual production by 2012.
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From mid-November almost 500 people currently employed on agency contracts at the Ford Saarlouis Plant will be offered permanent contracts ahead of the start of assembly of the new car on 6 December.
The Saarlouis plant – which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year – will be the single source for next-generation Ford Focus production in Western Europe, producing all three Focus bodystyles – four-door, five-door and wagon – while production at the Michigan assembly plant will concentrate on the four-door and five-door derivatives.
Manufacturing will be expanded further in mid-2011, when Ford’s plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, begins building the new four-door and five-door models of the Focus.
Production in the Asia Pacific region will begin in early 2012, when the Chongqing plant in China, comes on line.
