Petrom & Ford Romania Join Forces and Sign Strategic Partnership

OMV Petrom, the largest oil and gas producer in South-Eastern Europe, and Ford Romania, a subsidiary of the US Ford Motor Company, have signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a strategic partnership. The memorandum defines the main aspects of cooperation between the two companies. These start with joint business actions-such as servicing autovehicles manufactured at the Ford factory in Craiova with Petrom fuels and will continue with an analysis on the mobility needs of young families in Romania, through a dedicated market study.

Another aspect concerns the development of professional education in Romania. A joint activity already took place, with Ford engineers attending the Vocational Summer camp from Andrei’s Country programme, in the session dedicated to auto mechanics.

"This memorandum lays the grounds for future collaboration between Petrom, the most trusted brand of Romanians and Ford, both brands being major players in the Romanian economic landscape, both active in industries which contributed significantly to the economic development of Romania. For Petrom, we are talking about investments of approx. EUR 1 bn per year and state budget contributions of approx. EUR 2 bn annualy. Through strategic partnerships such as the one with Ford Romania, we have direct contact with the automotive industry which is the most relevant for us, as fuel producers.", said Mariana Gheorghe, CEO of OMV Petrom.

John Oldham, President of Ford Romania said: “Since taking over the facility in 2008, Ford has invested more than €1 billion in our Romanian manufacturing operations transforming Craiova into a world class production site for vehicles and engines. Ford has a strong commitment to Romania and we’ve put our energy not only in building outstanding products, but also in creating a difference and bringing added value to the entire national automotive landscape.

Partnering with OMV Petrom is one of the strategic steps we took considering Ford’s continuous development in Craiova and in the region. At the same time, we very much value all the potential our teams have and the great things we can do together for all Romanians.” The first steps in the partnership between OMV Petrom and Ford Romania concern the supply of Petrom fuels, produced in Romania, for the new Ford EcoSport units, a model for which official production started on October 12 at Ford’s plant in Craiova.

Ford vehicles produced in Craiova leave the factory fueled with Petrom products from the start. Following the execution of this memorandum, a Petrom fuel station will operate on the premises of the Craiova factory, destined for the production line.