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Ford Bridgend Engine Plant Confirmed To Close In September 2020

The Bridgend plant in Wales is where the Ford Motor Company manufactures 1.5-liter engine options with GTDi and Pfi technologies for both the Blue Oval and Jaguar Land Rover. But production will come to a grinding halt in September 2020, leaving 1,700 employees out of a job.
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Photo: Florin Profir
Nearly 400 of them signed up to a voluntary separation program with the Ford Motor Company, but the rest are in hot waters given the few working opportunities in that part of Wales. “As a major employer in the UK for more than a century, we know that closing Bridgend would be difficult for many of our employees,” said Stuart Rowley, president of the automaker’s European division.

“Changing customer demand and cost disadvantages, plus an absence of additional engine models for Bridgend going forward make the plant economically unsustainable in the years ahead,” concluded the higher-up, which is like admitting that Ford couldn’t keep up with the times. From the moment a product doesn’t sell well, any responsible employee in a management or executive position has to take the appropriate action in order to counteract a worst-case scenario.

Bridgend opened in 1977, and going forward, Ford is committed to the United Kingdom with a number of locations. Diesel engines in Dagenham, transmissions in Halewood, the Dunton Technical Center for commercial vehicles, there’s a lot going on with the Blue Oval in this part of the world. But looking at the bigger picture, Ford of Europe is going through a “damage control” phase in order to become more profitable.

The Mobility Innovation Office in London is where Ford of Europe develops future mobility solutions in the Old Continent, and not that far away from the United Kingdom, the Blue Oval has production plants and technical centers in countries such as Germany and Romania. In the not-so-distant future, Ford plans to introduce no fewer than 16 electrified models in Europe.

The alliance with Volkswagen AG will support commercial vehicle growth beyond the European Union, but on the other hand, the cuts don’t end there. Production at the Aquitaine transmission plant in Bordeaux, France will end in August 2019 while the Sollers joint venture in Russia will discontinue all passenger vehicle production towards the end of June 2019. Last, but certainly not least, the Blue Oval announced shift reductions in Saarlouis, Germany and Valencia, Spain.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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