Ford's UK branch threatened by Romanian and Turkish factory competitiveness

The last Ford factory in Great Britain has an uncertain future due to the competitiveness of low cost factories located in Romania and Turkey, the English daily The Times informs. The factory, located in Southampton was first opened in 1972 and it currently sets up some 80,000 cars and has some 1,100 employees.

Ford recently stirred up an internal competition spirit between its factories in Europe for the new Transit model that’s in plans, starting 2010. The Times notes that the British factory faces serious competition from Turkish and Romanian markets.

Ford will start building in Romania in 2009 its new Transit Connect model and starting 2010 it will produce a small class model in Craiova, South Romania. Ford officials currently need to decide which European factories will produce the new models.

British employees declared that they need to do whatever it takes to influence the officials’ decision and build the model in Southampton in order to assure that they will still have a job.