Ford opens 1 200 jobs at its Silverton Assembly Plant

Fortunately, Ford South Africa has created around 1 200 incremental jobs by adding a third shift as part of the $1.05b investment in its Silverton Assembly Plant. “The local workforce has increased from the current 4 200 Ford South Africa employees to approximately 5 000, along with an additional 440 jobs at the plant’s on-site service provider. This takes the total Ford employees at the Silverton facility to over 4 100, with 850 people employed at Ford’s Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). The reintroduction of the third shift will support expanded production of the current Ranger pickup to meet strong local and international demand. It will also enable an increased production capacity for the next-generation Ranger, starting in 2022.” “Our key objectives with the $1.05b investment in the Silverton Assembly Plant and our supplier facilities are to expand our production capacity, and to introduce the most advanced technologies and systems as we modernise our manufacturing operations to bring them in line with the best in the world,” said Ockert Berry, VP operations at Ford South Africa. “Crucially for our communities, the higher production volumes mean more jobs, and we are delighted to add the 1 200 jobs that now fill the third shift from the beginning of September,” Berry said. “We first ran three shifts and 24-hour production for a limited period in 2019 to meet higher volume targets, and we are delighted to reinstate this extra shift as a permanent fixture as we ramp up our production. “The employees that were brought on board and trained in 2019 were given first option to take up the new positions, and it is fantastic to see our Ford family growing as we head into the most exciting and dynamic chapter of Ford’s history in South Africa yet, as we prepare for the next-generation Ranger in 2022,” Berry added. The additional shift will increase production to 720 vehicles per day, or 240 units per shift – a Ranger every two minutes. “The biggest change has been a total redesign of the plant layout. We’ve removed roughly a kilometre and 20 transactions out of the previous assembly line flow by eliminating the back-and-forth movement of vehicles within the plant during the various stages of production. This will result in all of the manufacturing processes and quality checks being performed in the zone where it’s manufactured, contributing towards greater efficiency and more effective quality control before the vehicle moves to the next station.” Taking the unwavering focus on product quality to even greater heights, a completely new customer acceptance line facility has been installed where specialised quality inspectors scrutinise every aspect of the vehicle on a brightly lit audit line – validating the accurate fitment of parts, paint and bodywork quality, and the operation of all vehicle systems.” The plant manager, Tim Day, concluded, “There’s a real buzz around the employees, suppliers, construction contractors and the surrounding communities as the far-reaching investment and rapid changes we announced for the Silverton Assembly Plant and the Tshwane Automotive SEZ are transformed into reality. People are seeing and appreciating the prospects for growth and economic upliftment, which will not only impact them, but will have a long-lasting effect on their children and future generations.” Click here to view the video on the Silverton upgrades: https://youtu.be/0YOcXu5z0P0 Source: QuickPic