FORD INVESTS US$450 MILLION IN THAILAND'S RAYONG PLANT

By Jamaluddin Muhammad

BANGKOK, June 24 (Bernama) -- Ford Motor Company is investing US$450 million
for its passenger vehicle manufacturing plant in Rayong with initial production
of 150,000 cars annually beginning 2012.

Ford's president and chief executive officer Alan Mulally said the facility
would build the next-generation Ford Focus with 85 per cent of the total
production for export market in the Asia-Pacific region and the balance for
local market.

"This investment underscores our long-term commitment to Thailand and its
role as a global production and export hub for Ford," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's
group vice president and president for Asia Pacific and Africa.

The decision to build its new plant was supported by Thailand's world-class
automotive industry and logistics and export infrastructure, he told a press
conference here Thursday.

He said the next-generation Focus would be built on the company's new global
C-car platform which would eventually result in up to two million Ford vehicles
per year sold in markets around the world.

The C-car segment is currently the world's largest vehicle segment and is
projected to account for nearly 28 per cent of global passenger car sales by
2013.

Hinrichs said the new 750,000-square metre assembly plant in Rayong, which
is 100 per cent owned by Ford, would be fully integrated to support body
assembly, paint, trim and final assembly.

He said Ford planned to purchase up to US$800 million worth of local
components through Thailand's supplier network to support production at the new
facility.

The new facility has the potential to support up to 11,000 new jobs,
including up to 2,200 direct jobs with Ford and 8,800 indirect jobs through its
supplier and dealer networks, he added.

Despite the recent's political turmoil in this country, Hinrichs said the
company decided to invest in Thailand after taking into consideration its
long-term prospects with the support from Thai government, export
infrastructure, raw material supplies, logistics support and skilled workforce.

Furthermore, Ford has been operating in this country with a joint venture
with Mazda since October 2007 to produce 175,000 pickups (Ford Rangers) and
100,000 small cars (Ford Fiesta) annually from their US$500 million plant at
AutoAlliance Thailand in Rayong, he said.

He also said that Ford operations at AutoAlliance Thailand would continue
and the new plant would be located close to the existing plant, about 10-minute
drive.
-- BERNAMA


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