CEO Of Multinational Wind Turbine Manufacturer Aeris Energy Competes For Troller’s Factory; 600 Jobs Are At Stake In Ceará

After Ford Exits Brazil, Automaker Troller May Close Factory and Cease Vehicle Production in Ceará, 600 Jobs at Stake

After Ford announced its exit from Brazil, Troller’s factory in Ceará still faces an uncertain future. Four investors are interested in purchasing the unit, two of whom have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the American automaker to advance negotiations.

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“Four groups have been approached. I am aware of two that are progressing, already advancing negotiations with Ford, including a confidentiality agreement,” revealed a source to Diário do Nordeste.

While some interested parties have sought support from the State Government to mediate negotiations, others have already dealt directly with Ford regarding a potential acquisition of the Horizonte factory, such as Alexandre Negrão, CEO of wind turbine manufacturer Aeris Energy, located in Pecém.

Troller Factory in Horizonte Will Continue Operating Until December 2021 and 600 Jobs Are at Stake

Ford stated in a communication on January 11, when it announced the closure of its operations in Brazil, that “the Troller factory in Horizonte will continue operating until the fourth quarter of 2021” and that it would facilitate “possible and reasonable alternatives for interested parties to acquire the available production facilities.”

About 600 direct jobs are at stake in Ceará due to Ford’s exit from the country. According to Secretary Maia Júnior, head of Sedet, the State Government’s position is to provide “full support” for the factory to continue operating, maintaining jobs in Ceará.

After Ford Halts Car Production in Bahia, Camaçari Faces Factory ‘Dismantling’ and 7,500 People Are Expected to Lose Their Jobs

Ford’s exit from Brazil is causing a domino effect disaster. Direct suppliers to Ford in Bahia do not believe another manufacturer will arrive and are already working on dismantling their factories, which could lead to around 7,500 people losing their jobs in Camaçari.

The National Syndicate of the Automotive Components Industry (Sindipeças) reported that Ford’s largest suppliers, known as “tier 1”, which supply the automaker directly, consist of 30 companies with 32 factories or logistics centers in Camaçari, Bahia. Of this total, 18 are located within Ford’s complex.

Of the other 12 factories in different parts of the city, almost all are subsidiaries of global groups, such as the German companies Bosch (spark plugs) and Benteler (powertrain and suspension), the Italian Pirelli (tires), the Portuguese Sodecia (body parts), and the French Faurecia (exhaust systems and plastic components).

In a Move Contrary to Ford and Chevrolet, Multinational Auto Parts Manufacturer Bosch Decided to Bring Its Production from the USA to Brazil

Bosch, the German multinational auto parts manufacturer, brought to Brazil the production of injectors and injector nozzles for trucks, which were produced in its factories in the United States, thus expanding the diesel injection systems division at its factory in Curitiba. The company’s action went against the trend of automakers Ford and Chevrolet, which decided to withdraw or reduce production in Brazil.

The German multinational Bosch aims to supply not only the Brazilian market but also to export a significant amount – which could reach up to half of the production.

On March 6, the company made the transfer from the USA to Brazil. It used the second-largest cargo aircraft in the world, the Antonov 124, to transport 115 production machines for injectors and injector nozzles to Campinas (SP).