Ford and Mazda Invest Additional US$27 Million in AutoAlliance Thailand to Boost Pickup Truck Capacity
· Extraordinary demand for all-new global pickup trucks prompts new investment
· New capacity will come online starting next month
RAYONG, Thailand, April 25, 2012 — Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation today announced an additional US$27 million (THB 837 million) investment in their AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) joint-venture to further upgrade the pickup truck line and increase capacity by another 20,000 units per year.
AAT produces the all-new Ford Ranger and all-new Mazda BT-50 pickup trucks for the domestic market and export markets around the world.
The new investment will include facility upgrades such as additional robotic equipment and tooling to help increase line speed and output. The new capacity will start to come online next month.
The additional 20,000 units bring the total annual capacity of AAT’s pickup truck line to 195,000 units, bringing overall capacity of AAT to 295,000 units per year, which includes the passenger car line.
This latest investment increases Ford and Mazda’s total joint investment in the AAT facility to nearly US$2 billion (THB 62 billion) since operations began in 1995. Last year, Ford and Mazda jointly-invested US$350 million (THB10.8 billion) to support facility upgrades and supplier tooling for production of the all-new Ford Ranger and all-new Mazda BT-50 pickup trucks.
“This new investment reinforces Ford Motor Company's long-term commitment to Thailand as a global production and export hub, and will allow us to meet the extraordinary demand for the all-new Ford Ranger,” said Peter Fleet, president, Ford ASEAN.
AutoAlliance Thailand, one of the most modern automotive manufacturing facilities in Thailand, has helped to set the standard for automotive manufacturing in the ASEAN region through its ongoing commitment to world-class quality, standards and cost-competitiveness.
”This additional AAT investment is part of the strategic business partnership between Ford and Mazda,” said Yuji Nakamine, senior managing executive director of Mazda Motor Corporation. “Additionally, it allows us to continue to meet exceptionally strong demand for our all-new BT-50."
In addition to the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 pickups, AAT produces the Ford Everest SUV, and Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Mazda3 passenger cars for sale in Thailand as well as for export to ASEAN and other markets.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.