Ford Argentina will invest US$80 million in the country to manufacture in Argentina a new family of high-tech engines that will drive the next generation of the Ranger pickup that will be produced at the General Pacheco plant.
Daniel Justo, president of the company for South America, and Martín Galdeano, president of the local subsidiary, made the announcement during a meeting they held yesterday with the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa.
With this announcement, the total investment for the production of the next generation of the new pickup reaches a total of US$660 million, the company detailed in a statement.
“The decision to continue investing in Argentina is very important for Ford, and is aligned with our objective of offering the latest in global technology to consumers in South America,” said Daniel Justo, president and CEO of Ford South America.
“The continuous improvement of our products and competitiveness are key to the sustainability of Ford’s business in the region. This new investment demonstrates Ford’s commitment to the country,” added the executive.
The new family of engines will require a significant transformation of the Pacheco engine plant, incorporating the latest technologies and production processes from Ford at a global level, as well as 4.0 manufacturing concepts. The priority in the design of this plant and its processes is to deliver high quality motors for customers in South America.
The start of production of the new engines at the Pacheco Plant will take place during the year 2024, the automaker said in the statement.
“One of our objectives is to achieve the widest possible integration of local and regional auto parts in a competitive and efficient way,” said Martín Galdeano, president of Ford Argentina.
“This new investment was also possible thanks to the professionalism and commitment of each of the Ford workers. They are carrying out the largest transformation process in the history of Planta Pacheco”, he added.
The head of the Palacio de Hacienda expressed that “today we have an investment of 82 million dollars that will allow us to have the most technologically modern engines in the world for the Ford Ranger and this is the work of the Argentines, an enormous opportunity to grow for the country”.
Massa spoke yesterday during a brief ceremony at the headquarters of the economic portfolio, accompanied by the Secretary of Domestic Trade, Matías Tombolini; the president of Ford and Adefa, Martín Galdeano; and the general secretary of the Automobile Transport Mechanics and Allied Union (Smata), Ricardo Alberto Pignanelli.
The minister expressed his commitment to “guarantee the entire supply chain, continue paying the capital bonds, continue facilitating the investment process so that all automakers and auto parts manufacturers continue to develop.”
Massa pointed out that “more than 30% of the announced investment goes to the auto parts sector and that means generating Argentine labor that is exported.”
The minister stressed that “it seems essential to me that we continue to develop this task and that jobs continue to be generated at the table at which the State, companies and workers sit.”
“Continue advancing in the industrialization process in Argentina, decent quality work and training like Ford’s investment,” added Massa.
As reported at the time by Ford, the new Ranger manufactured in Pacheco will be launched in the second half of 2023.
Source: Ambito
