Sollers Ford plant stops the production for undefined period

Sollers Ford plant in Yelabuga goes into idle since March 3 due to the decision of the Ford Motor Company to suspend temporarily the activities and operations of the joint venture. According to the Sollers Ford press service, the company's management will take all legal actions to ensure social obligations to the team during the period of forced downtime and to ensure the resumption of the enterprise's work as soon as possible after the decision is made by Ford Motor Company. Recall that in March 2019, the shareholders of the Sollers Ford joint venture announced the restructuring of the joint venture, the activities of which are focused on the segment of light commercial vehicles.

As a result, Sollers Ford left the passenger car market, and the production of Ford passenger models was fully completed by the end of June 2019 with the consecutive closure of two Sollers Ford automobile plants in Naberezhnye Chelny and Vsevolozhsk, as well as an engine plant in the Alabuga SEZ (Yelabuga). At the same time, the new business structure is designed to increase sales of the Ford Transit, which continues to be produced at the plant in the Alabuga SEZ, thus creating a more competitive and profitable business model. In the new structure of Sollers Ford, the shareholders of Ford Motor Company and Sollers Auto remain partners, while Sollers Auto is the managing shareholder with a 51% stake in the authorized capital.