Ford Trucks has signed a deal with TIP Trailer Services for after-sales services in Western Europe.
However, the company played down claims that the move would bring the Ford name back to the UK truck sector, saying it was simply an after-sales agreement to cover vehicle warranties and that a righthand-drive F-MAX was not being considered.
British investor I Squared Capital acquired TIP Trailer Services, formerly owned by US conglomerate GE, from China’s HNA Group in May 2018.
Terms were not disclosed, but the deal was thought to be worth over €1bn (£873m).
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After establishing its presence in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and the Turkic Republics, Ford Trucks continues to grow with new dealers in the European market while accelerating efforts to increase the number of countries it supplies to 51 by 2020.
Following on the international success of its new F-MAX tractor, which had its world premiere at the IAA Show in Hannover last year and won the 2019 International Truck of the Year award, Ford Trucks is now looking to rapidly increase the number of service locations in Western Europe.
Ford Trucks vice president Serhan Turfan said of TIP's appointment: “In the global arena, Ford Trucks is rapidly growing as a company that combines nearly 60 years of truck production experience with the ability to develop products specific to different export markets.
"The worldwide appreciation and acclaim for the F-MAX, which we developed from scratch, has been an important driving force that has increased our international growth target.
"In parallel with our growth target in Western European markets, the cooperation with TIP Trailer Services will contribute significantly to our goal of continuous customer support. We believe that this cooperation will bring very fruitful results for both parties.”
