Focus order stop causes wild speculation in Saarluis

Criticism of the Executive Council
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Focus causes order freeze at Ford plant in Saarlois

The future at the Ford plant in Saarluis is uncertain. The focus order freeze is now fueling speculation again.
Photo: Rooppenthal

saarlouis Anyone looking to order a new Ford Focus is currently out of luck. “OrderBank” is closed – so customers cannot order any new cars of the model that are produced at the Ford plant in Saarlouis, the works council criticizes. This sparked renewed speculation among battered employees.

currently gives Payab-Do not supply new focus orders. Because the order books for this car model in Saarlois are fuller than those currently off the production line. This is information on the part of the company about how the Executive Council informs its workforce. “Order Bank […] remains closed.”

And it’s not just the focus that’s stuck. According to the head of the Works Council, Marcus Thal, there are difficulties on the assembly lines “particularly with the Fiesta and other Ford models,” according to management.

Ford Focus: Stopping acceptance of new orders

In the case of Focus Alone, which rolled off the assembly line in the Saarland, the pre-order list is so full that production capacity will be exhausted by the end of the year, employee representatives write to their employees. Orders (orders) now moved into the coming year. Long waiting times for customers should be avoided by blocking the acceptance of new orders.

Still hopeful times: The start of series production of the third Focus generation on December 6, 2010 at the Saarluis Ford plant. Ford boss Bernhard Mates (left) and Saar Prime Minister Peter Müller (CDU) at the time. Today the end of the car type in Saarland is certain: 2025.
Photo: DPA/Oliver Dietze

Thal, head of the Works Council, described the situation as follows: “Anyone who can order a focus today will not receive it before late spring 2023.” A wait time of several months would be ideal. “The new car will only be delivered in April/May,” he specified when asked by SZ.

This is because of frequent interruptions in the delivery of individual parts. That is why the model cannot roll off the assembly line at normal speed. But that’s not the only thing that matters. In this way, inflation creates problems for the car maker. If a car is paid for today when it is ordered, the increase in cost, which is difficult to estimate at present, could turn the whole thing into a subsidy for the group.

128 images The decision has been made: photos of the Ford workforce in the labor dispute
Photo: Rooppenthal

order materialPP Ford causes speculation at Saarlois: Will Focus end production sooner than expected?

However, the Executive Council considers freezing this order a mistake. Thal: “This provides room for speculation and thus creates uncertainty among both employees and customers.” The latter has already lost faith in Ford.

Many are unsure whether ordering the model is still profitable. At present, only dealers are making the car available in two or three configurations. Other wishes are not possible. “There are collaborators who fear that the end of Focus production will come before it is officially announced.”

So Thal Order advocates reopening the bank, as the order list is called in technical jargon. It would at least indicate – even with longer delivery times – that the type of car is still available in the long term.

The cut in production affects the total number of cars to be manufactured this year. Instead of 195,000 new vehicles there should be 117,000. Should it again be 143,000 in the coming year, the Executive Council forwards the relevant information to the management. However, these are only rough plans as it is difficult to estimate the supply position with individual parts.