Turkey's Ford Otosan Opens Yenikoy Courier Auto Plant

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Ford Otosan (BIST:FROTO) (Istanbul, Turkey), the joint-venture between Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) (Dearborn, Michigan) and Koc Holding (Istanbul), has commissioned its third auto manufacturing plant in Turkey. Located in Yenikoy, Kocaeli, the $289 million plant will manufacture two new models of the Courier line, Tourneo Courier and Transit Courier, at a combined rate of 110,000 units per year.

The Yenikoy plant marks an increase in Ford's production capacity in Turkey to 415,000 motor vehicles. Ford Otosan manufactures more than half of all commercial vehicles produced in Turkey and accounts for 61% of the country's commercial vehicle exports.

The plant was inaugurated in a ceremony that included Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Koc Holding Honorary Chairman Rahmi Koc and Koc Holding Chairman Mustafa Koc. Erdogan repeated his call for a Turkish company to manufacture a locally designed and branded car. Erdogan said that research and development efforts were heavily incentivized in the country.

Ali Koc has said his group does not intend to abandon its long-standing partnerships with Ford and Fiat to create an indigenous brand.

Ford Otosan manufactures commercial vehicles of various sizes and types, including a heavy truck, for world markets. The company also has an engineering center in the country, employing 1,300 engineers that work on the development of engines and vehicles.

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