Bucharest, October 24, 2023 – by rbj (Source: Agerpres) – Ford Otosan, Ford Motor Company’s global commercial vehicle center in Europe, has started production for the new Courier range – Ford Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier, for which it took over engineering responsibilities and production, in a ceremony organized on Tuesday at the factory in Craiova.
The ceremony was hosted by the general manager of Ford Otosan, Güven Özyurt, by Josephine Payne, deputy manager of Ford Otosan, and by Müjdat Tiryaki, President of Ford Otosan Craiova, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu and many officials, industry representatives and prominent personalities from the business world.
During the ceremony, Ford Otosan General Manager Güven Özyurt said that the Courier range is of great importance to the company which, for almost a decade, has been responsible for the global production of these models, as vehicles bearing the Ford Otosan signature, starting from design to production.
“Being the ideal combination of performance and functionality, the Courier range has greatly contributed to our position as a leader in commercial vehicles. I am proud that the Courier range is the first range of vehicles that Ford Otosan starts producing at our plant in Craiova. The capabilities state-of-the-art production facilities of the Craiova plant are complemented by Ford Otosan’s experience in design, engineering and production. The new Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier, along with our investments, are proof of the trust we have in Craiova and in Romania. They are on fully confident in the success that the new Courier range will have and I am convinced that it will set new records,” said General Manager Güven Özyurt.
Managing Director for Europe of Ford Pro, Hans Schep, said that the new Courier range launched in Craiova marks a new achievement for Ford Pro in Europe. “The start of production of the new Courier range at the Craiova plant marks an important moment for the Ford Pro commercial vehicle division in Europe and represents an important stage in our mission to create essential products for customers,” said Hans Schep.
Koç Group General Manager Levent Çakýrođlu highlighted that Ford Otosan represents the solid partnership based on mutual trust between Koç Group and Ford Motor Company and continues to be a pioneer, produce and create value. “Ford has always considered Ford Otosan a benchmark, thanks to its attention to quality, efficiency and flexibility. Today we have an outstanding product that is a solid proof of the success of Ford Otosan and our employees, both in Kocaeli and Craiova. Ford Otosan is the only production location of the Courier range Ford Otosan is the only production center in the world for the Courier range, which was first assembled at the Yeniköy plant in 2014. As part of Ford Otosan’s investment strategy, production of the Courier range has been moved from the Yeniköy plant to the plant in Craiova, Romania,” said the general manager of Koç Group.
Last year, in July, Ford Otosan announced an investment of 490 million euros to support the production of the new generation of the Courier range at its plant in Craiova, which, along with the Puma model, will benefit from fully electric versions in 2024. Following this investment, the total production capacity will increase from 250,000 to 272,000 vehicles per year. In order to further support Ford Otosan’s production needs at the Craiova plant, the company carried out a major recruitment campaign, creating 1,300 new jobs.
Designed jointly by the Ford Otosan and Ford teams, developed and produced by Ford Otosan, the new models of the Courier range (Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier) will also have fully electric versions, which will be produced in Craiova in 2024. The E-Transit Courier will represented an important milestone for Ford Otosan in achieving its goal of having a portfolio of fully electric commercial vehicles by 2035.
Founded in 1959, Ford Otosan (Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.Ş.) is a publicly traded company (public company), in which Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding hold equal shares. According to Ford Otosan, the company is the second largest industrial organization in Turkey, the most valuable automotive company listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (Borsa Ýstanbul).
Ford Otosan operates in 4 main centers: the factories in Kocaeli and Eskişehir (Turkey), the factory in Craiova (Romania), and the Research and Design Center in Istanbul (Turkey) and has over 20,000 employees. Ford Otosan is the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer for Ford in Europe, capable of designing, developing and testing a complete vehicle, including its engine.
