GQEBERHA, South Africa, 24 October 2022: Ford Motor Company’s Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha has been topped the general winner of Exporters Eastern Cape’s 2022 Exporter of the Year awards. The announcement was made at the twenty seventh version of the prestigious awards at a gala dinner held at the Boardwalk Convention Centre on Friday 21 October 2022.
More than simply the 2022 Exporter of the Year Award
In addition to successful the predominant prize, the Struandale Engine Plant received the Best Exporter OEM class for authentic tools car producers – the fifth time Ford has earned this title. It additionally acquired an IDC Job Creator Merit Award for the third time, having additionally received this class on two earlier events.
“It is an honour and privilege to be announced as Exporter of the Year for 2022, which is the first time we have won the overall award,” stated Shawn Govender, Plant Manager of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. “It’s a testament and credit to the hard work and dedication of the entire Ford team to ensure the sustainability and relevance of our business, both here in Nelson Mandela Bay and internationally as part of Ford’s global manufacturing network.”
This success comes on the again of Ford’s funding final yr of R600-million in the Struandale Engine Plant for the addition of the new 3.0L V6 Diesel engine program. This contains cylinder head machining and engine meeting, making it the third diesel engine household at present manufactured at the plant, and its eleventh engine program so far.
“The introduction of the V6 Diesel engine required a high level of innovation and ingenuity from our team, as it is assembled on the same line as our existing 2.2L and 3.2L Duratorq TDCi engines, although it has been extended and thoroughly modernized with significant quality improvements,” stated Oscar Sundu, Assistant Plant Manager of the Ford Struandale Engine Plant. “This makes it the only facility in the Ford world that produces in-line and V-configuration engines on the same line, which was essential for us to contain the investment costs required, and ensure that we are globally competitive in terms of cost-per-unit.”
The funding additionally facilitated upgrades to the present 2.0L Single Turbo and a couple of.0L Bi-Turbo engine meeting line, with each engine applications supporting Ford’s highest-ever put in capability for the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, which is able to start manufacturing of the extremely anticipated Next-Generation Ford Ranger pick-up later this yr. Following a R15.8-billion funding in the Silverton operations and provider tooling, Ford now has an put in capability for producing 200 000 automobiles per yr for home gross sales and exports to greater than 100 international markets.
“At the heart of each one of these vehicles is an engine proudly produced at the Struandale Engine Plant,” stated Ockert Berry, VP Operations, Ford South Africa. “With more than two thirds of the vehicles we produce being destined for export markets, this is a major export achievement for the Struandale operations, as well as our employees and supplier network.”
Since 2011 the Struandale plant has been machining Duratorq TDCi cylinder heads, blocks and crankshafts which can be used for native engine meeting and exports to different engine crops round the world. By the finish of 2021, nearly 7-million machined parts had been manufactured, of which greater than 4.2-million had been exported.
Fully assembled Duratorq TDCi engines have been produced for export clients and for Ford’s car meeting operations in Pretoria. Duratorq TDCi engine meeting began in 2011, adopted by the 2.0L SiT/BiT engines in 2019 – each of which have powered the current-generation Ford Ranger pick-up and Everest sport utility car (SUV) for home gross sales and export markets.
The Struandale Engine Plant opened its doorways in 1964, and by the finish of final yr a complete of greater than 3.8-million engines had been produced. This contributed to Ford’s exceptionally proud legacy in the Eastern Cape, which dates again to 1923 when Ford Motor Company of South Africa was based in Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth).
Currently the Struandale Engine Plant employs roughly 850 salaried employees and hourly workers, with everlasting sub-contractors taking that quantity as much as roughly 1 300 folks on-site, together with 1000’s of extra jobs at provider firms. In whole, round 5 500 individuals are employed at Ford South Africa, whereas supporting roughly 60 000 jobs in the whole worth chain.
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Posted by Ford South Africa on Quickpic News
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