Components manufacturer Visteon SA plans to expand the manufacturing capacity of its Port Elizabeth plant by a about third in anticipation of new export orders, a report says.
Components manufacturer Visteon SA plans to expand the manufacturing capacity of its Port Elizabeth plant by a about third in anticipation of new export orders, a report says.
CARtoday.com reported last year that Visteon had commissioned a R110-million factory to supply air fuel charge assemblies to Ford’s engine plant in Port Elizabeth, which currently exports the Rocam engines. Since then, the Visteon plant has also been awarded contracts to supply Ford’s Rocam plants in China and Brazil.
The expansion, to increase current capacity by about a third, comes only 18 months after the company commissioned its R110 m factory in Port Elizabeth. The plant was built to supply air fuel charge assemblies to Ford’s Rocam engine plant, which is also in Port Elizabeth.
The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa recently announced a R1-billion investment in its Silverton plant in preparation for a R4 billion-a-year export programme that would lead to production of two new vehicles. However, it is not yet known to what extent Visteon’s operations will benefit from Ford’s new export programme.
quoted Visteon director Andy Dealtry as saying that the company’s growth in South Africa was attributable to the country’s motor industry development programme, which had attracted substantial foreign investment.
Dealtry said contracts to export powertrain systems directly to clients were in the pipeline. The expansion would boost Visteon’s R250-million annual turnover and also create extra jobs.
