FCA Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, and COO for the EMEA Region, Alfredo Altavilla, met employees at the Group’s plant in Termoli (Italy) today, where they announced that the plant had been chosen to produce two new engines.
Both engines are for future Alfa Romeo models and, as such, will play an important role in the brand’s global relaunch.
The first is an advanced, high output 4-cylinder engine developed for Alfa Romeo. The second is a Ferrari-derived 6-cylinder engine, which has also been developed specifically for Alfa Romeo.
With installed production capacity for the two engines of more than 200,000 units, the plant will be capable of meeting approximately half of the total volumes projected in Alfa Romeo’s plan for 2018.
Work to retool the plant is already underway and today’s ceremony also included installation of the first piece of equipment on one of the future production lines: a cylinder head tooling machine from Comau.
In total, more than half a billion euros will be invested in design, development and engineering of the engines and construction of the new production lines.
The work is set to be completed within six months, during which employees will also undergo the necessary training.
The new production activities will enable the number of employees on temporary layoff at Termoli, where a total of 2,400 are currently employed, to be reduced to zero. In addition, over the next few months 50 young people will be hired in strategic roles, including positions related to a third shift necessary in certain areas of transmission production.
“This high tech project is an integral part of our bet on Alfa Romeo,” said Sergio Marchionne to plant employees. “It is because of your technical know-how and capabilities that we are allocating production here at Termoli. It also represents an opportunity for you to show the world what you can achieve”.
The CEO’s visit also marked the 30th anniversary of the FIRE engine, which continues as a benchmark of technological excellence and one of the greatest successes in the automotive field. The Termoli plant has produced 20 million units of the FIRE engine since March 1985.
Mr. Marchionne concluded his address to workers at the engine and transmission plant, seldom the focus of media attention, with these words: “You should all be proud. In today’s society, where form often counts more than substance, you are a symbol of those who go quietly about their work with professionalism, preferring action to words and committed to resolving problems faced along the way. You exemplify the values upon which FCA was founded: a sense of duty, a strong work ethic, generosity in moments of difficulty, and the courage to step up when called upon.”
