Ford Motor Company and Automotive Components Holdings (ACH) today announced it would sell its interior trim business to Faurecia, the world’s sixth-largest automotive supplier.
ACH was formed in 2005 to sell or close 23 former Visteon plants. The sale of the Saline, Michigan plant is expected to close in June. Nearly all of the 2,100 mostly UAW employees at the business have been offered employment, Ford said in a statement.
The deal includes the formation of a new joint venture, Detroit Manufacturing Systems (DMS), between Faurecia and Rush Group Ltd. DMS will do injection molding, and of interior trim parts. About 500 people are expected to be employed at the DMS facility in Detroit. The Saline plant will focus on core technologies such as injection molding, skin manufacturing and foam operations.
“Ford also is proud to play a role in helping to revitalize Detroit at this critical time for the city,” said Tony Brown, group vice president, Ford Global Purchasing.
After completion of this sale, ACH will have only two remaining operations: The climate control business at its Sheldon Road plant and the lighting business at its Sandusky, Ohio, plant.
