Ford returns to Romania after 60 years

(14 Sep 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Wide exterior of old Daewoo factory 2. Various on factory floor 3. Various of Romanian Prime Minister, Calin Popescu Tariceanu and President of Ford of Europe, John Fleming visiting factory 4. SOUNDBITE: (Romanian) Elena, Factory worker: "Of course I am happy to have it here because I understand it's a big investment. They take care of people, they even build schools." 5. Various of factory floor 6. Wide of banner in meeting hall 7. SOUNDBITE: (Romanian) Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Romanian Prime Minister: ++audio overlayed with mid shot of John Fleming listening++ "The Romanian car industry is going to be the most important in eastern Europe and we hope that the presence of Ford here will increase the will of other American companies to invest here." 8. Cutaway of Ford flag 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Fleming, President of Ford of Europe: ++audio overlayed with mid shot of photographer taking pictures++ "We are going to build 300 thousand vehicles a year. And we are going to manufacture 300 thousand engines a year. We believe employment levels need to raise and increase well beyond 7-thousand and maybe up as high as 9-thousand people." 10. Close of Fleming place card 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Fleming, President of Ford of Europe: ++audio overlayed with mid shot of Tariceanu listening++ "I and Ford Motor Company are committed to spend 675 (m) million euros (936 (m) million US dollars) here and supporting exactly what the Prime Minister said, we do expect to be spending a (b) billion euros (1.4 (b) billion US dollars) a year in Romania to support the Craiova operations." 12. Wide exterior of Daewoo dealership 13. Daewoo dealer, Vasile Munteanu, with employee 14. SOUNDBITE: (Romanian) Vasile Munteanu, Daewoo Dealer: "I think that this is a huge step forward that Ford took over the old Daewoo factory and I think everything will go right and we will have a competitive car industry." 15. Munteanu in dealership 15. Close of Ford flag - Daewoo building in background STORYLINE US car maker Ford Motor Company, on Wednesday, bought 72.4 percent of Automobile Craiova, a car plant in southern Romania worth 57 (m) million euro (77.9 (m) million US dollars) in a deal signed in Frankfurt, at the International Car Fair. The company, which first came to Romania in 1935, intends to transform Automobile Craiova into "the reference Ford factory in Central and Eastern Europe" according to a statement by John Fleming, Ford of Europe President and CEO. Fleming, along with Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, paid a visit on Friday, to the Craiova Daewoo factory which Ford is taking over. Tariceanu who was in Frankfurt for the signing said he believed that the deal will turn Romania into the biggest car producer in the region, bringing more jobs and more tax money to Romania's national budget. "The Romanian car industry is going to be the most important in eastern Europe and we hope that the presence of Ford here will increase the will of other American companies to invest here," Tariceanu told reporters at a news conference in Craiova. The first Ford car will leave Craiova plant at the end of 2008, Fleming said, adding that 90 percent of the production would be exported from Romania. Ford of Europe produced 1.86 (m) million vehicles at seven assembly plants in 2006 and additional manufacturing space is needed to meet ambitious new product and growth plans. "We are going to build 300 thousand vehicles a year. And we are going to manufacture 300 thousand engines a year," said Fleming. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b5bbee870fec3860bf0329ec25cd239c

Added 5 Aug 2026