The Ford supply chain consists of a complex network of suppliers that ensure the company has the parts and materials it needs to build cars. The company works closely with its suppliers to ensure that the supply chain is efficient and reliable. Ford’s suppliers can be grouped into tiers 1, 2, and 3.
The greater the number of suppliers, the less likely there will be a delay when one supplier encounters a challenge. This will mitigate Ford’s supply chain issues caused by delays in the delivery of car parts. This means there could be many suppliers, supplying the same auto parts to Ford, which can be used for different car models.
For example, Flex-N-Gate supplies door parts for the Ford Ranger, and another supplier may produce similar door parts for another model.
A good example of this supply chain management strategy is used by Ford for outsourcing battery production. Contemporary Amperex Technology company is a Ford supplier that produces lithium iron phosphate batteries for the Ford Mustang Mach-E models in Canada and the US but another Ford supplier, LGES is saddled with the manufacturing of Nickel Cobalt Manganese batteries for the same Mustang Mach-E.
This helps to reduce reliance on a single tier 1 supplier to produce a specific car part for all models; relying on a single company to do that is not a good supply chain management strategy because anything affecting such a supplier not to meet demand means no cars can be completed, leading to delays.
However, managing a large number of suppliers can be challenging and monitoring for quality may not be feasible with such a large number of suppliers. To mitigate this, some companies vertically integrate the key aspects of their business, while outsourcing other aspects.
See also: Fordism definition and examples
The list of Ford suppliers is numerous, I will keep updating the list as more suppliers are added. The components supplied to Ford and the location of each company are described after the general listing.
Ford Suppliers Lists
- Flex-N-Gate Seeburn
- NHK Spring
- U-Shin Europe
- Valeo Electric and Electronic Systems
- Flextronics Automotive
- Webasto Roof & Components
- Summit Plastics
- Dee Zee
- Comstar Automotive Technologies
- Warn Industries
- Mahle Group
- Autoliv
Ford’s Tier 1 Suppliers List
- Vitesco Technologies
- Tribar technologies
- Visteon Corporation
- Flex-N-Gate
- Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)
- NHK Spring
- SK On
- LG Energy Solution Ltd. (LGES)
- Valeo Electric and Electronic Systems
- Continental AG
Ford Motors uses more than 1,400 tier-1 suppliers of its car parts. We will mention a few below with the components they produce.
Vitesco Technologies
This tier 1 Ford supplier produces a wide range of sensors and electronic controls specifically for the control of temperature as well as door handle sensors. It also produces intelligent battery sensors, engine control units, and Central Powertrain Controllers (CPC) for electrified drives.
Source: https://www.vitesco-technologies.com/en-us/products/door-handle-sensor
Tribar technologies
Tribar is one of the tier 1 suppliers of Ford Motors and other automobile companies such as General Motors.
Tribar is a major supplier of injection molded parts and decorative applications. As a Ford supplier, it produces the blue oval badges on some models such as the F-150, and the lettering on the Bronco model.
Visteon Corporation
Visteon Corporation is an American tier supplier to major automobile manufacturers such as Ford. The company is located in Van Buren Township, Michigan.
As one of Ford’s suppliers, Visteon designs and produces cockpit electronics products and electrification products such as switchable junction boxes, autonomous driving software (Visteon DriveCore ™), connected services, wired and wireless Battery Management Systems, etc.
Flex-N-Gate Seeburn
Flex-N-Gate is a major Ford supplier that makes exterior trim components such as bumpers, headlamps, door arms, and hinges. Other car parts that are supplied by Flex-N-Gate include front-end modules (FEMs) – including forward lighting, radiators, cooling fans, air vent systems, decorative car bumpers, and hood latches.
The company has many manufacturing facilities in many countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, etc.
Flex-N-Gate is not just a supplier of Ford Motors, it supplies many other automakers such as Nissan, Toyota, General Motors (GM), Subaru, Stellantis, and Chrysler.
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)
Contemporary Amperex Technology is a Chinese battery manufacturer that is a tier 1 supplier of Ford motors. CATL produces lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs for Ford cars such as the Mustang Mach-E models.
CATL is also a Tesla supplier that supplies Tesla with batteries as well. It also has manufacturing facilities in Germany.
NHK Spring
This is a Japanese company that is one of the tier 1 suppliers of Ford. It makes numerous automotive springs and other parts such as suspension springs, seats, seat parts, etc.
Because of the diverse spring components produced by NHK Spring company, it is a major supplier to almost all auto manufacturers; including Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, Renault, etc.
SK On
SK On, a company located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is one of Ford’s suppliers that produces electric vehicle batteries for Ford Motors. This South Korean company is a subsidiary of SK Innovation. It is also a tier 1 supplier for Kia motors.
LG Energy Solution Ltd. (LGES)
LG Energy Solution Ltd. (LGES) is a South Korean company that is one of Ford’s suppliers of electric vehicle batteries. It has a market share of more than 20% in the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. LGES is also a tier 1 supplier of batteries to Tesla, General Motors, Volkswagen, etc.
Valeo Electric and Electronic Systems
Valeo is another supplier of Ford motors. This company, located in Poland supplies starters for Ford.
Continental AG
Continental AG is a German automotive parts manufacturing company that is one of the Ford tier suppliers. Continental Ag supplies Ford with tires, brake systems, and vehicle electronics (especially for its electric vehicles).
The company also supplies various parts for Ford, especially in the Mustang Mach-E model as seen in the picture below.
The auto parts that Continental supplies to Ford Motors include Tires, light control units, door control units, wheel speed sensors, brake systems, brake hoses, and a Key authentication system (Passive Entry Passive Start). Other parts that this Ford supplier produces include antennas and surface materials for doors and seat covers.
Source: https://www.continental.com/en/products-and-innovation/innovation/electric-mobility/ford-mustang-mach-e/
Other Ford Suppliers in the Mining Industry
- Vale Canada
- PT Vale Indonesia
- Huayou Cobalt
- BHP (Australia)
- Liontown Resources
- Rio Tinto (Argentina)
- Ioneer
- EcoPro BM
- Compass Minerals (supplies lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate)
- Syrah Resources (supplies natural graphite)
Ford’s Suppliers in the United States (USA)
- Autoliv
- Bosch
- Continental AG
- Faurecia
- Flex-N-Gate
- Magna International
- Michelin
- Nippon Seiki
- SKF
- Valeo
Table showing the location of the Ford Suppliers in USA
| Ford Suppliers in USA | Location |
|---|---|
| Autoliv | Ogden, Utah |
| Bosch | Farmington Hills, Michigan |
| Continental AG | Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Faurecia | Fraser, Michigan |
| Flex-N-Gate | Urbana, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan |
| Magna International | Troy, Michigan |
| Michelin | Greenville, South Carolina |
| Nippon Seiki | Sabina, Ohio |
| SKF Group | Lansdale, Pennsylvania |
| Valeo | Troy, Michigan |
Table Showing the Suppliers of Ford, their Location, and Components supplied
| Ford Suppliers | Location | Parts Supplied to Ford |
|---|---|---|
| Autoliv | Sweden, US, Mexico | Airbags |
| Bosch | Germany, Mexico, US | Steering controls, Electric motors, and electric fuel pumps |
| Continental AG | Germany, Mexico, US | Tires |
| Faurecia | France, Mexico, US | Interior systems |
| Flex-N-Gate | United States, China, Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, India, and Canada | Door handles and Hinges |
| Magna International | Canada, Mexico, US, Austria | Battery enclosures and truck frames |
| Webasto Roof & Components | Germany | Sliding sunroofs |
| Michelin | France, Mexico, US | Tires |
| Warn Industries | Oregon (United States) | Axle assemblies |
| Nippon Seiki | Japan, Mexico, US | Automotive meters and instruments |
| SKF Group | Sweden, Mexico, US | Bearings and seals for e-powertrain, wheel-end, driveline, etc |
| Visteon Corporation | Michigan, United States | Autonomous driving software, connected services, SmartCore™ domain controllers, wired and wireless Battery Management Systems, etc |
| SK On | South Korea | Electric Vehicle Batteries |
| U-Shin Europe | Hungary | Steering columns |
| Dee Zee | The U.S. (Iowa) | Running boards |
| LGES | South Korea | Car batteries |
| NHK Spring | Japan | Suspension stabilizer linkages and many other Spring components |
| Valeo Electric and Electronic Systems | Poland, France, Mexico, United States | Starter assemblies |
| Summit Plastics | China | Instrument panel components |
Indirect Suppliers of Ford Motors
These suppliers provide a variety of services to Ford, such as transportation, logistics, and IT support.
List of Indirect Suppliers of Ford Motors
- Cisco
- FedEx
- Penske Logistics
- Roush
- Union Pacific
Nansel is a serial entrepreneur and financial expert with 7+ years as a business analyst. He has a liking for marketing which he regards as an important part of business success.
He lives in Plateau State, Nigeria with his wife, Joyce, and daughter, Anael.
