...Also nach folgendem Beitrag, scheint der Volvo-Deal perfekt!!!
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"Ford, Geely Close to Agreement on Shielding Volvo Trade Secrets
By Keith Naughton and Cathy Chan
Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. is close to an agreement to preserve trade secrets at its Volvo brand as the Swedish unit is sold to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.
“Almost all the outstanding issues have been resolved,” said Tim Burt, a Geely spokesman. “Geely will gain access to all technology throughout the current model range and for those already in development, which are necessary for Volvo to continue for its current business plan.”
The technology being held back includes new environmental and safety gear, said two people familiar with the talks who asked not to be identified revealing private discussions. A Volvo sale agreement may be signed next month, one person said.
Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally is seeking to strike a balance between keeping the Swedish division viable while protecting intellectual property. Ford plans to sell engines to Volvo for as long as a decade, a profitable venture for the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, the person said.
Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth declined to give details of the technology-sharing plans with Geely, which Ford designated in October as the “preferred bidder.” Ford said Dec. 23 the companies had agreed on “substantial commercial terms” for a Volvo sale.
‘Technological Support’
“We want to make sure that if we sell the business, we sell it as a going concern,” Booth said in an interview in Detroit yesterday at the North American International Auto Show. “We need to ensure they have technological support until they can develop it themselves or find it from someone else.”
Ford needs Volvo to stay healthy as a supplier of diesel engines for vehicles built in Europe, Booth said.
“We need to make sure when we sell these assets that they still have a good future,” Booth said. “Long term, you provide support of technology, platforms and powertrains to ensure that as the business is bought, it still has value.”
Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief, wouldn’t say whether the new Focus small car introduced yesterday at the show would underpin future Volvos. Volvo’s S40 is built on the mechanical foundation of the Ford Focus now sold in Europe.
Ford put Volvo up for sale in late 2008 to finish unloading overseas luxury brands and focus on its namesake division. Geely is offering about $2 billion, less than a third of what Ford paid a decade ago, people familiar with the bid have said.
Geely, which is privately held, was China’s 10th-largest automaker based on 2009 sales. Ford said last month that the sale of Volvo might be completed by June.
To contact the reporters on this story: Keith Naughton in Detroit at +1-248-827-2941 or Knaughton3@bloomberg.net: Cathy Chan in Hong Kong at +852-2977-6629 or kchan14@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at +1-248-827-2944 or jbutters@bloomberg.net; Philip Lagerkranser at +852-2977-6626 or lagerkranser@bloomberg.net"
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-11/...lvo-trade-secrets.html |
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