MOSCOW, Russia, October 1, 2013 – Ford Sollers, the joint venture business equally-owned by Ford and Sollers, is today celebrating its second anniversary.

On October 1, 2011, Ford Sollers was created and announced ambitious plans to bring more Ford vehicles to Russian customers, expand its vehicle production operations, manufacture engines, establish research and development activities, and localize more of its Ford vehicle content. In the ensuing two years, Ford Sollers is well on the way to realizing its promises.

“In less than two years, we have gone from building just the Ford Focus and Ford Mondeo in Vsevolozhsk, to today building eight vehicles in Russia, six of them in Elabuga  – the Ford Explorer, Ford Kuga, Ford Galaxy, Ford S-MAX, Ford Transit and Ford Tourneo Custom. A third manufacturing plant starts operation soon in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, and earlier this year we started work on a new $274 million (10 billion Rouble) engine plant in Tatarstan – the first passenger car engine plant in the region – which will start production in 2015. We also confirmed that the EcoSport small SUV would be manufactured and go on sale in Russia in the second half of 2014, and just last week announced a new research and development center.  These are great results the entire Ford Sollers team can be proud of,” said Ted Cannis, president and CEO, Ford Sollers.

“Today, Ford Sollers is an efficient team of around 5000 professionals, and we intend to grow even more. We are devoted to developing each employee’s potential, encouraging them in every effort to gain new knowledge through both formal training and practical experience because we consider the personal success of our employees as also resulting in success for our company.  I would like to join Ted and thank all of our team for the great results we have reached in such a short period of time” – added Adil Shirinov, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ford Sollers.

Moreover 99 per cent of vehicles from total Ford sales in Russia are locally built.

Ford Sollers key milestones:
October 1, 2011 – Ford Motor Company and Sollers OJSC announce the start of operations of their 50-50 joint venture in Russia, Ford Sollers.

January 2012 – Ford Transit production starts at the Ford Sollers plant in Elabuga.

January 17, 2012 – The 500,000th car – a Ford Focus – rolls off the production line at the Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk near St. Petersburg.

March 30, 2012 – Ford Focus III named the best car in its class at the annual “Car of the Year in Russia” awards ceremony, and the best in its segment according to the results of the Runet vote at mail.ru portal.

April 24, 2012 – The 500,000th Ford Focus is built at the Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk.

July 9, 2012 – The Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk, producing Ford vehicles since 2002, celebrates its 10 years anniversary.

July 24, 2012 – Ford Sollers announces the extension of its model range produced at the Ford Sollers plant in Elabuga. The Kuga, S-MAX, Galaxy and Explorer are assembled on the assembly line of the plant on the territory of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone.

September 20, 2012 – The 10,000th vehicle is produced at the Ford Sollers plant in Elabuga. The anniversary vehicle was a black Ford Explorer.

January 28, 2013 – The new Ranger triumphed in the annual Golden Klaxon automotive awards ceremony, named the best model in the “special transport” category.

April 11, 2013 – The first full-production Explorer rollsoff the assembly line at the Ford Sollers Elabuga Assembly Plant in the Republic of Tatarstan.

April 24, 2013 – The Focus and Explorer were named best vehicles in their classes at the “Car of the Year in Russia” awards ceremony.

May 14, 2013 – Ford Sollers is accelerates its plan to expand in the Russian market by announcing it is building a $274 million (10 billion Russian Rouble) engine plant in Elabuga in Tatarstan. First engines will be built in 2015.

June 28, 2013 – More than one million Russian customers chose Ford vehicles in the past decade.

July 25, 2013 – Ford wins the prestigious JATO CO2 award in Russia.

September 9, 2013 – Ford Sollers receives a special award “For success in the development of the Russian market.” The award was announced at the “Best Commercial Vehicle of the Year in Russia” awards ceremony in Moscow, which took place during the COMTRANS 2013 commercial vehicle show.

September 26, 2013 – Ford Sollers announces the creation of an R&D center in Russia.