Ford will invest US$ 343 million to produce more engines
Folha de S. Paulo - 04/29/2008
Yesterday Ford announced the investment of R$ 600 million (US$ 343 million) in its unit in Taubaté (130 km from São Paulo), in the Vale do Paraíba region, in order to produce a new family of engines called Sigma. According to the assembler, the investment will increase the engine production capacity of the plant from the current 264 thousand to more than 500 thousand units per year. In a note, Ford informed that the new engines will mainly equip the cars of the brand produced in the country, but there is also the forecast of exportations. Also according to the note, the Zetec RoCam engines, which currently equip vehicles such as Ka and Fiesta, will continue being produced. Accordingo to the vice-president of the Union of Metallurgical Industry Workers of Taubaté, Claudemir Monteiro, the engine will have versions such as 1.0 and 1.3 that will equip cars like Ka and Fiesta. Monteiro affirmed that, despite the biggest production, there is no forecast for new hirings for the plant. The unit has 1,550 employees that receive R$ 2,500 (US$ 1,430) on the average. To make the investment, Ford imposed conditions such as the opening of a VDP (Voluntary Dismissal Plan) for the retired employees, and a decrease of the salary floor from the current R$ 1,300 (US$ 743) to R$ 1,100 (US$ 629) for the new employees. "Ford will make a large investment in the plant, which guarantees jobs for 15 to 20 years", said the union's vice-president. The investiment will allow improvements in productivity and modernity, will bring the state-of-the-art global engeneering of engines to the cuntry, and will considerably contribute to increase our domestic and foreign competitivity ", said Ford Brasil's and Ford Mercosul's president, Marcos de Oliveira, on a note.