Dagenham Ford plant gets export boost

Ford’s Dagenham plant in Essex had been producing new Ford cars for decades, recently after cut backs new car production at the plant stopped. However the plant still produces engines and parts. The plant appears to be doing well again as demand for its engines and parts have increased by a third over the past 12 months. Exports to Russia, Australia and the Far East have driven this increase.

The plant produces approximately 30% vehicle panels, 30% engines and 40% trim-metal used in applications such as Ford's chrome window surrounds. On top of that, engines are shipped through Ford Component Sales to both Ford and non-Ford dealers in the UK.

Chairman of Ford Britain, Joe Greenwell said, "Ford is investing £1.5 billion in low-carbon engineering and manufacturing in the UK over a five-year period. This benefits our customers and the 100,000 people in the UK whose jobs are directly or indirectly dependent on Ford. It also boosts Ford Dagenham's export operations, which are important to the global One Ford strategy and will help power the UK's sustainable economic recovery."

Dagenham plant’s overseas demand as well as parts for a Ford Galaxy in Kent has increased due to new markets in South Africa, Argentina, Russia, Taiwan, North America, India, China, Japan, Brazil, The Philippines and Thailand. To put into context the growth we only have to look back to August 2010 where a single container of just 36, 2.7-litre V6 diesel engines was shipped to Melbourne, Australia - these shipments have now increased to 1,200 engines a month.

Paul Arrowsmith, Transport Operations manager for Ford of Britain said: "It's good news for the future of our business that the export arm of our operations is being kept so busy that we need to take on extra employees - additional packing work translates into more road movements of containers to and from various ports around Britain."


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