Stadco
, a supplier of body-in-white (BIW) services to the automotive industry, has been awarded a supply agreement with
Ford. The contract calls for Stadco to establish the first dedicated BIW stampings and assembly facility in Russia to supply major international OEMs.
Planning work for the construction of the new facility near St Petersburg is already underway and the supply of production stampings and assemblies to Ford, for the Focus model, is expected to start in early 2009. The facility will initially employ up to 200 people.
With the Russian market growing strongly, a number of OEMs are establishing manufacturing facilities in the country, mainly in the St Petersburg region, and major international Tier 1 suppliers are now following these customers.
Other major OEMs, including Toyota, GM and Nissan, are in the process of establishing vehicle production in the St Petersburg area. By 2008, Stadco anticipates that annual vehicle production by international OEMs in Russia will increase to over 300,000 units.
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