Gasan Enterprises staff visit Ford in Valencia, Spain

Over 50 members of staff of Gasan Enterprises Ltd have visited the Ford manufacturing facilities in Valencia, Spain, as part of an educational tour to mark Gasan's 80th anniversary.

Gasan Enterprises offered staff up to €180 each for personal development in this 80th anniversary year.

Three groups went on the four-day educational trips, last month.

The highlight of each group's visit was a tour of the Ford parts depot and assembly plant. Staff from all departments, including parts, workshop, accounts and sales, saw the presses where the body parts are made, the robot assembly, the assembly line itself and a separate engine assembly, apart from quality control.

"You have to see to believe the complexity of the process," Julian Borg, head of the Parts Department at Gasan Enterprises, who co-ordinated the visits, said. "The plant assembles three different Ford models, the Focus, Fiesta and Ka, all at the same time.

"So, you could see a left-hand-drive Fiesta, followed by a right-hand-drive Ka - all with their specific parts being built according to the client's specifications. Everyone had a good time and was impressed with the whole set-up."

Members of the group also had the opportunity to visit the aquarium and Science Museum in Valencia on one day and were taken on a guided tour of the old city.

According to Gasan Enterprises managing director David Gasan: "I was impressed that the majority of the staff decided to spend the money devoted to their personal development in this 80th anniversary year to getting a unique insight of how the Ford cars we sell are built."