A Social Focus
Back in November, 2017 EME Outlook took great pride in profiling the UK operations of international automotive heavyweight, Ford. Six months on and we’ve been invited back into the manufacturing giant’s world, this time entering Romania, and the Company’s ground-breaking Craiova plant.
For the past 10 years, Ford Romania has evolved to become one of the Group’s most refined and fastest-growing operations, but its success hasn’t solely revolved around product sales and showroom footprints as you might expect. Rather, the Company has made its name in the country via a host of social enrichment initiatives that embrace not just the business’s manufacturing acumen, but its investment power across drivers including education, health, safety and skills upliftment.
Working in conjunction with numerous local institutions and associations, the global entity now has a very local feel about it, and with the help of former Ford Craiova Plant Director, John Oldham, EME Outlook looks to help the Company celebrate its 10-year anniversary in the country.
“Craiova is a world-class Ford plant, building world-class vehicles and engines. And most important is that people who work here are world-class too, delivering market-leading technology products at a high-quality level; and I would just like to thank each and every one of them for all their hard work,” Oldham notes.
Our second port - or should I say ‘Ports’ - of call this month take us to Namur and Tallinn, and each’s role as a gateway to Southern Belgium and Estonia’s capital, respectively.
The latter in particular has a history that goes back thousands of years in facilitating cargo and passenger influxes to the country, but is focusing more on futuristic approaches in the present day. The optimisation of advanced technologies, as well as concerted expansion plans continue to place Estonia as a key European crossroads for trade and tourism.
Stepping away from business briefly, one of the summer’s key talking points across both Europe and the Middle East will be the imminent FIFA World Cup in Russia. Jumping on any excuse to discuss one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles, I analyse each of EME’S prospects in the build-up to the tournament. Enjoy the issue!