SUCCESS STORIES - FORD
Based on worldwide vehicle sales, Ford Motor Company, an American multinational corporation, is the world’s third largest automaker. Ford was ranked the seventh American-based company on the 2007 Fortune 500 list, with global revenues of 160.1 billion USD. Ford produced about 6.6 million automobiles in 2006 and currently employs approximately 280,000 employees in 100 plants and facilities worldwide.
Ford is now associated with various global brands, including Lincoln and Mercury of the US, Jaguar and Land Rover of the UK, and Volvo of Sweden. The company also owns one-third of the controlling interest in Mazda.
Ford Otosan is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Group of Companies. Established in 1959 as the first automotive company in Turkey, Ford led the way in the automotive industry by producing the first Turkish automobile, the Anadol in 1969, and establishing the first engine manufacturing plant in 1983. Current capacity is 300,000 vehicles per annum in its Kocaeli and Inonu plants, rated respectively, as the “Best Vehicle Assembly Plant” and “Best Powertrain and Engine Plant” within the Ford of Europe Organization. Other Ford Otosan locations are the Parts Distribution Center in Kartal, Istanbul which is the largest one in Turkey with 50,000 line items available and the recently established Gebze Research & Development Engineering Center in Gebze, Istanbul.
Main vehicles produced at the plants are the Transit (Van of the Year of Europe - 2007), the Transit Connect (Van of the Year of Europe - 2003) and Cargo trucks. As of December 2006, more than 258,000 vehicles had been produced by a workforce of 8,000 employees. Ford has been the market leader in Turkey for 5 consecutive years and also exports products to Europe - more than 183 thousand vehicles in 2006 alone.
Ford Motor Company recognizes the great potential both for the automotive market in Turkey and for Turkey as a manufacturing and engineering base. Turkey presents a tremendous opportunity for growth in the automotive sector which is considerably ahead of that of Western Europe. Ford Otosan is well-placed to play a significant role as the leading automotive company in Turkey. The competitive market conditions, strong supply base and availability of a highly educated workforce make Turkey an excellent location for Ford’s manufacturing and engineering resources in Europe.
