Drug firm Vetter acquires former Ford facility in Saarlouis.
By November 2025, the Ford factory in Saarlouis will no longer be producing vehicles. The future of the manufacturing site was uncertain for months, but now it's confirmed: the pharmaceutical services provider Vetter will be moving in, bringing along plenty of new job opportunities.
This news was shared by Saarland's Ministry of Economics and Vetter, a family-owned company from Ravensburg that specializes in liquid and freeze-dried medications that are filled into syringes and other injection systems. In Saarland, Vetter plans to create a facility valued at several hundred million euros and capable of accommodating 2000 employees. Approximately 50 hectares of previously unused Ford land and the former final assembly site will be used for this project after the production of Ford Focus ends in November 2025.
Back in 2023, Ford announced that the plant in Valencia, Spain, had been chosen for its new electric car platform. This decision effectively sealed the fate of Focus production in Saarlouis. Rumors of a potential takeover by a Chinese automaker had circulated for months, but talks between the company and Saarland authorities fell through in October.
At the end of February, employees at the factory came to an agreement regarding their future. This agreement includes continued employment for 1000 of the 3750 Ford workers until the end of 2032, substantial relocation packages, the formation of a transfer company, and training programs.
Vetter, based in Upper Swabia, is a world leader in the pharmaceutical sector. With over 6300 employees worldwide, the company has witnessed its revenue more than double since 2016 and reached a billion euros in turnover last year.
Saarland's Minister President, Anke Rehlinger, saw this as a fortunate turn of events, not just for Saarlouis, but for the entire region. Saarland's Economic Minister Jürgen Barke considers this development a step towards making the location more resilient and multi-faceted. Udo J. Vetter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and a member of the owner family, believes Saarlouis holds the most promising conditions for expanding their production capacities.
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The company Vetter, known for its expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, will be moving into the former Ford facility in Saarlouis, marking a significant shift for the region. This move will result in several hundred million euros being invested and the creation of 2000 new job opportunities in Saarland.
Before its transition to a pharmaceutical facility, the Ford factory in Saarlouis had been producing vehicles, with the production of Ford Focus set to end in November 2025.
