Ford said that many of the 310 suppliers in 22 countries making parts for the redesigned Focus have added added a total of 5,500 jobs plus facilities and equipment to produce parts for the vehicle while others have at least been able to maintain employment levels.
“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, head of global sourcing at the automaker.
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Developed in Europe for sale in over 120 markets, the new Focus is in production at Saarlouis in Germany and Wayne, Michigan and will also be made in St Petersburg, Russia, later this year. Production in the Asia Pacific region will begin in 2012, when new plants come on line in Chongqing, China, and Rayong, Thailand.
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% of the vehicle’s value is sourced to suppliers in Ford’s 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.”
Suppliers and their contributions to the new car line include:
- Robert Bosch: 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, over 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, tyres, hoses, axle boots and steering gaiters. Continental is adding 30 jobs in various locations throughout Europe and 60 jobs at US locations. It is also expanding facilities in Henderson, North Carolina; 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 US 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 US$185m for its industrial and development efforts.
- Getrag Ford Transmissions (GFT): supplying the PowerShift (dual clutch) transmission. GFT added 100 positions at its Kechnec, Slovakia, manufacturing facility. The additional people will support added work at the plant, including the 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.
- Lear: supplying wiring, body control modules, terminals and connectors. Lear invested $52m 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 US plants. It is also adding three new assembly lines to support Focus production in Gelsenkirchen, Germany; Nove Mesto, Slovakia; and Marion, Virginia, with supporting equipment in Rogersville, Tennessee.
- 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, Michigan; 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: supplying climate, electronics, interior and lighting components and is adding 133 jobs at facilities in the US, Mexico and China. All told, Visteon has 1,279 workers supporting Focus work and has invested over $12m.
Ford said 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, Michigan; Inergy, which produces fuel tanks, is adding 30 jobs at its facility in Adrian, Michigan; and Piston Automotive, a minority-owned supplier of cooling module assemblies, is adding 16 jobs at its facility in Redford, Michigan.
