Ford Trucks invests €5M in Pombal, doubles turnover

Ford Trucks has invested €5 million in a “mega warehouse” in Meirinhas, Pombal, and expects to double turnover in Portugal to €41 million this year, compared to 2020, the heavy truck brand said on Monday.

According to Bruno Oliveira, the business volume forecast for the brand – represented in Portugal by OneShop, Distribuição Automóvel S.A. – for this year is €41 million, which represents a 100% growth compared to the €20.5 million, a year in which it had already more than doubled the business of the year of entry into the country (2019), which closed with €8.6 million.

The number of vehicles in circulation by the end of 2021 “should exceed 350 units, which represents a market share (in vehicles over 16 tonnes) of 5%, well above expectations, taking into account the current economic context,” it adds.

In 2022, “as a result of the defined strategy and excellent receptiveness of the brand in the market”, Ford Trucks Portugal expects to continue to grow and end the year with a 6% share.

According to the company, it was this performance that “justified the creation of a commercial structure and a network of after-sales assistance with six workshops that cover the mainland” and that, in addition to the newly opened Meirinhas “mega warehouse,” integrates the five facilities already in operation in Alverca, Albergaria-a-Velha, Loulé, Vilar do Pinheiro and Viseu.

“All of this despite the pandemic constraints that economic activities went through and to which the heavy vehicle sector was no exception,” he stresses, adding that new openings are “expected by the end of this year.

The “mega warehouse” now opened in Pombal has three floors, a covered area of over 1,500 square meters, dedicated spaces for workshops and vehicle exhibition, administrative and commercial services and an open area of 8,400 square meters.

In Portugal, Ford Trucks is represented by OneShop, Distribuição Automóvel S.A., coordinated by Bruno Oliveira and with a team of 48 employees who guarantee the assistance of all the heavy goods vehicles of the brand available in the Tractor, Road and Construction ranges.

In parallel with the expansion of the commercial network, Ford Trucks says it has been investing “in expanding and strengthening after-sales services for national customers, especially the assistance network, present throughout Europe, accessible via a 24-hour customer support service.

As a result, they point out, “during the pandemic Ford Trucks and its dealer network managed to maintain assistance levels, providing factory parts at short notice and full-time after-sales assistance.”