The US carmaker is postponing for next September the moment it starts manufacturing the future B-Max small class model and for 2013 the finalisation of the over 675m-euro investment in Craiova, as Ford officials expect the European car market to decline further.
“We initially said the Craiova project would be completed in 2012. We’re working with AVAS (the State Asset Resolution Authority i.e.) to modify the privatisation contract given the European market context. In 2013 we’ll finalise the project,” said John Fleming, the former Ford Europe head.
According to him, the company has so far invested over 200m euros to modernise Craiova production facilities, and 12m euros in employee training programmes in 2009, which are still ongoing.
Ford announced it would start a recruitment programme beginning the first half of next year to drive the number of employees toward 7,000 people, from around 3,600 at present.
At full capacity, Ford operations in Romania would generate revenues of above 4bn euros, namely around 2.5% of Romania’s GDP in 2013, while the US brand’s exports together with that of Dacia are likely to range between 15 and 20% in 2013.

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