Ford has chosen Ceva Logistics to provide a range of inbound logistics services at its Louisville plant in Kentucky, US, which will begin production of the new Escape SUV in the first quarter of 2012. Assembly of the Escape is moving to the Louisville plant from its previous home at the Kansas City plant in Missouri.
Ford has invested $600m to retool the facility and is in the process of adding 3,100 jobs to launch two new shifts of Escape production next year.
Ceva will be handling deconsolidation of inbound sea containers, and providing small lot logistics, returnable container management and transport to and from the plant. The new contract means Ceva will be investing in new facilities in Louisville.
“We are pleased to be able to grow with Ford in Louisville and support the new Escape,” said Kerry Zielinski, Ceva’s vice president for Business Development and global key account leader for Ford. “Our services globally with Ford are geared to provide the right solution and designed to manage last miles of the supply chain to the final production.”
The contract with Ford follows the announcement that Ceva has renewed its aftermarket delivery contract with parts supplier Magneti Marelli in Italy for a further four years. Magneti Marelli After Market Parts and Services (AMP&S) specifically targets the independent market for spare parts and assistance services.
Ceva said it will continue to manage the customer’s logistics activities at the hub of San Pietro Mosezzo, Novara, near Milan. It will provide services for the handling, stocking and packaging of spare parts, and will handle 10m inbound and outbound pieces annually from a 28,000m2 dedicated facility.
The two companies are also preparing for further collaboration in the area of telematics with an initiative focused on new projects for tracking vehicles and goods based on fleet management applications designed by Magneti Marelli.
Dino Maggioni, managing director of Magneti Marelli AMP&S, said: “Our partnership with Ceva has constantly evolved in order to meet the service requirements of the European markets. Now we have started a new challenge together to further increase the flexibility and rapidity of distribution activities through the use of technology.”
