São Paulo – After the announcement earlier this week that the Ford plant in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, is shutting down, São Paulo governor João Doria met this Thursday (21) morning with Ford América do Sul CEO Lyle Watters. After the meeting, Doria announced that starting on next week the state government will seek a buyer for the plant in order to protect its jobs.
“It was a long and hard meeting,” said Doria when making the announcement. “We’ve decided São Paulo government will seek a buyer for this plant in order to preserve the industrial park and its jobs,” he added.
According to Doria, the plant shutdown won’t be immediate, but over 2019, while the government intends to assist Ford in finding a buyer for the plant. “Ford employees have no need to worry right now that they will lose their jobs. It will be business as usual. During this period, the government will help Ford finding a buyer for the industrial park so that workers remain there, altough a new brand will take control of the industrial park, said the governor.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
