A new chapter for Ford in Dagenham will begin next week with the opening of a new TrustFord centre.

TrustFord Dagenham, a new fleet and commercial centre in Messina Way, will employ about 48 people to service the needs of vehicles and businesses in the area and across London.

There will also be special opening deals available for people attending the event and for customers up until March.

The venture, based in Orion Park, represents a half a million pound investment in TrustFord Dagenham which has a regional turnover of £118 million.

It also continues the close links between Dagenham and Ford, one of the world’s biggest motor companies, which first opened a factory in the area in 1931.

The first vehicle, a Ford AA light truck, was driven off the production line in October of that year by A R Smith, Ford’s then general manager.

At its peak in the 1950s the factory employed about 40,000 workers although vehicle assembly ceased there in 2002.

In its 70 years the people of Dagenham have built 10,980,368 cars, trucks and tractors – which placed end to end would circle the world ten times over.

Currently Dagenham Diesel Centre, which builds low-carbon diesel engines for a number of Ford cars, operates on the site.

Mayor Cllr Simon Bremner and members of the local Chamber of Commerce will join senior executives from Ford Motor Company including Andy Barratt, chairman and nanaging director of Ford of Britain as well as Roelant de Waard, Ford of Europe’s vice president at the event on Thursday next week.

Steve Hood, TrustFord chairman and CEO, said: “We are very excited about the opening of the new TrustFord Dagenham Transit Centre as it represents a very important milestone for our organisation in the area.

“The facility really is one of a kind and we are looking forward to welcoming all of our customers whatever their business needs, from one van right up to a large fleet of vehicles.”