Ford Sollers Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia Builds Its 500,000th Vehicle – The First Russian Ford Focus Wagon

ST. PETERSBURG, Russian Federation, January 17, 2012 – The 500,000th vehicle rolled off the production line today at the Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk, near St. Petersburg, Russia. It marked a double celebration as the milestone car was a Ford Focus Wagon – the very first all-new Focus Wagon to be built at the plant.

Ford Sollers Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia Builds Its 500,000th Vehicle – The First Russian Ford Focus Wagon; Governor of the Leningrad region Valery Serdykov (left); Ted Cannis, Ford Sollers CEO and President (right)

 “It’s great that the half-millionth Ford car to be built in Russia is the first all-new Ford Focus Wagon, the very latest model to our vehicle range,” said Ted Cannis, President and CEO, Ford Sollers.

“Since the first Ford car came off the production line here in Vsevolozhsk in 2002, the Ford brand has undergone enormous change in Russia. Our sales volume has increased five-fold since 2002, and we at Ford Sollers are determined to build upon that success in the years ahead.”

Adil Shirinov, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ford Sollers, said: “This 500,000th car is important for the team here at the Vsevolozhsk plant and all Ford Sollers employees, the St. Petersburg area, and for our customers in Russia. Ford is today recognized by Russian customers for its safety, craftsmanship, distinctive design, driving dynamics, affordability and – increasingly – for its outstanding technology, and this all-new Ford Focus Wagon has it all.”

Also watching the 500,000th car off the line – a top-of-the-line 2.0-litre, candy red Ford Focus Titanium Wagon – were Valery Serdyukov, Governor of the St. Petersburg region, and Alexander Sobolenko, Head of the Vsevolozhsk Municipal Region.
The plant in Vsevolozhsk was the first complete-manufacturing, non-domestic automotive plant in Russia when it was opened by Ford in 2002. It is now one of three plants operated by Ford Sollers. Over 2,700 employees currently work at the plant. Each day, the plant produces around 300 cars in each of two shifts. The Russian plant produces the Ford Focus in all three body styles: five-door, four-door and wagon. Since 2009, Vsevolozhsk also has built the four-door Ford Mondeo.

Ford Sollers Plant in St. Petersburg, Russia Builds Its 500,000th Vehicle – The First Russian Ford Focus Wagon.

History of production Vsevolozhsk:

• July, 2002 – Start of Ford Focus production
• 2003 – Focus became the best-selling car manufactured in Russia by a non-domestic manufacturer; a status it retained for seven years
• 2006 – 100,000th Russian-built Ford Focus built in Vsevolozhsk
• October, 2007 – 200,000th Ford Focus rolled off the production line
• March, 2009 – Start of Mondeo production.
• June, 2009 – The number of Russian-built Focus cars reached 300,000
• March, 2011 – The 400,000th Ford Focus was produced in Vsevolozhsk
• July 2011 – All-new Ford Focus four-door and five-door production begins 
• January 17, 2012 – 500,000th car built, and the start of Ford Focus Wagon production.

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About Ford Sollers
The Ford Sollers joint venture started operation on October 1, 2011, and is responsible for the production, import and distribution of all Ford brand products, including vehicles, parts and accessories, in Russia. The Ford Sollers joint venture includes vehicle production facilities in Vsevolozhsk (St.Petersburg region), and in Naberezhnye Chelny and in the  special economic zone of Alabuga in the the Republic of Tatarstan. Ford Sollers  also will manufacture engines and operate a stamping facility that will provide a higher level of local parts content for Ford vehicles built in Russia. It also plans to establish research and development activities.