It has been known for two years, but Thursday was the moment of truth for Ford’s plant in Genk, Belgium. The last car was produced at the facility, marking the closure of the site which produced approximately 14 million vehicles over the past 50 years. In recent years, the plant built the S-MAX, Galaxy and Mondeo models.
Ford announced in late 2012 the decision to shut down the plant and relocate production of new models to Valencia, Spain. At the time, the factory had 4,000 employees. However, the plant’s closure will affect a lot more jobs.
According to a study from the University of Hasselt, the closure of the plant will cost some 11,800 jobs in the region, as Ford suppliers will also have to make layoffs.
The final car produced in Genk was a white Ford Galaxy MPV, which was signed by employees and donated to a charity. “It seems so unreal. I think I’ll only notice after the holidays. It’s winter time, you’re at home and have no idea what to do. That’s when it will hit,” 60-year-old worker Rudi Beys was quoted as saying by Reuters.
After the final shift ended at 8 a.m. EST, the company will keep a few hundred of its staff over the coming months to dismantle assembly lines. Belgium is now left with only two vehicle assembly plants: Audi in Brussels and Volvo Cars in Ghent. Besides Ford, Opel also closed a factory in Antwerp in 2010.
PHOTOS
