The China Post
Date: March 27, 2017
By: Liu Kuang-ying

Signs of Ford Lio Ho Motor Company’s former glory are immediately apparent upon

This photo dated Nov. 9, 2016 shows the Ford Kuga’s launch event in Taipei. (Christine Chou, The China Post)

entering its 35-hectare facility in the Taoyuan satellite city of Chungli. During its heyday in the late 1980s, the company was Taiwan’s automobile sales leader, and one out of every four cars on the country’s roads was a Ford.

In stark contrast, with sales of just under 20,000 vehicles last year, Ford’s meager market share of 4.5 percent was just one-fifth of that at its peak. Meanwhile, only around 700 salaried employees remain at the facility, just a quarter of the workforce of old. As a result, the automobile industry has been abuzz with talk about the possible closure of the Ford Motor production line in Taiwan after a 45-year run.

However, the actions of Tim Chu, president of Ford Lio Ho Motor Co., would seem to contradict such rumors, as Ford plans to invest NT$4 billion (US$132 million) in plant refurbishments over the next five years, in order to incorporate smart production practices.    [FULL  STORY]