Car factory lays off 3,500 employees and closes after 55 years

After 55 years, car production at Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Western Germany has come to an end. The last Ford Focus has left the assembly line, and it happened earlier than anyone expected.

Production was originally scheduled to stop on November 21, but at the beginning of the month it was decided to bring the end date forward. The last car was assembled on Thursday, November 6, ending Saarlouis’s long history as a car-making city ahead of schedule.

Factory management explained in an internal message that the production program had been completed sooner than planned and that all scheduled cars had already been built. Employees were informed of the new end date in early November, and many found it hard to believe that it was actually over.

3,500 lose their jobs – 1,000 get new roles

The closure hits hard. Of the 4,500 employees, 3,500 will now lose their jobs, while 1,000 will have the opportunity to stay with the company. From December, the remaining workers will produce spare parts and components for Ford’s European models. It will be a much smaller operation, and much of the factory’s equipment will be removed.

According to Saarbrücker Zeitung, management and union representatives have tried to make the transition as smooth as possible, but the mood at the plant is one of sadness.

Ford and the IG Metall union have reached an agreement ensuring that the remaining positions will be retained until 2032. At the same time, large parts of the factory site will be taken over by the pharmaceutical company Vetter, which already bought 40 hectares of the site in January.

“We have completed our production program ahead of schedule and built all planned cars,” the management wrote in its message to employees.

From car factory to spare parts centre

The shutdown marks the end of a chapter that began in 1970. Over the years, more than 15 million cars have left the assembly line in Saarlouis, and the plant has been a key part of Ford’s European network.

But market trends, declining demand and a lack of buyers for the site have made it impossible to continue. Ford Denmark has previously denied any knowledge of the closure plans.

The final days in Saarlouis will be marked with an internal farewell event on November 21, when employees will gather at the plant to say goodbye.

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