The automotive and high technology parts maker Ford Component Manufacturing officially opened its new high-volume plant in North Tyneside yesterday.
Mayor elect Linda Arkley attended the opening ceremony and commended the company on its growth.
Ford has invested around £1 million in the new facility for high-volume manufacture of its automotive and high tech products.
Initially 25 staff will work at the site, producing an estimated 40 million parts per year. Fifteen of the jobs at the site are entirely new roles.
Around 60 guests, including business leaders, attended the opening of the new 30,000sq-ft site at Silver Fox Way, New York Industrial Estate.
The site will be used for precision pressing and metal treatments, including components made durable and anti-corrosive using a phosphating treatments line. This is a first for Ford.
The main customer demand for the new plant comes from Freudenberg Technical Products, a member of the German family-owned Freudenberg Group. The company buys components for use in rubber seals for automotive applications from Ford.
Ford’s existing facility in Monkton, South Tyneside will now focus solely on low volume production. There are plans to expland this facility with the possibility of more jobs being created later this year.
Ford Component Manufacturing is the sister company of Ford Aerospace. Together they employ around 160 people in the Tyneside area.
Bosses say the dramatic expansion of Ford Components’ operational capability will further cement its position as an innovative, in-demand and forward-thinking business.
Managing director, Mark Podmore added “Everyone involved in Ford can be proud of this latest step and feel a sense of excitement about the opportunities that are being created.”
