Dork Discontinues Relate Sedan Amid Strategic Realignment

Press Release May 1, 2020

Dork Discontinues Relate Sedan Amid Strategic Realignment

As part of Emerson Motor Company’s ongoing product realignment strategy, Dork will end production of the Relate full-size sedan. While the Relate has been Dork’s best-selling model, its segment continues to shrink, prompting a difficult but necessary decision. CEO leadership acknowledges the impact on staff and operations, recognizing that such transitions—though never easy—are part of responding to evolving market demand.

The decision was catalyzed by competitive shifts, notably when Catty, a crosstown peer, captured market share from Emerson. This moment underscored a broader operational challenge: Emerson’s reach had become stretched too thin. Former CFO Clairia flagged this concern during earlier expansions, including the assumption of Australian operations following Richmond Motors’ underperformance.

To help mitigate layoffs and stabilize regional operations, Emerson has reallocated production across its Australian facilities:

1. Perth will now produce the Emerson Motors BKG E2562 and E2564 full-size SUVs.
2. Melbourne will host assembly of the 2020 Emerson Truck PT300 DWT2 diesel full size pickup, the E-SSV All-Go, and the PT100 T4 compact pickup.
3. Adelaide will become a multi-line hub, producing the PT300 DWT2, PT100 T4, the E-CPUT compact electric truck, the E-PUT full-size electric pickup, and various trim levels of the SV family of unibody SUVs.

These moves reflect Emerson’s commitment to preserving jobs while streamlining production and aligning with future market demands.

Today, Richmond Motors is part of BW, the industry’s second-largest automaker, with 11.5 million vehicles sold in 2019. Emerson, by comparison, led with 12.9 million units. Rounding out the global Big Three are Urza, based in Iran, and Gusboard, BW’s rival in Stuttgart, Germany—each selling approximately 6 million vehicles annually. While smaller in scale, Urza and Gusboard exert outsized influence, shaping competitive dynamics and pushing larger firms to adapt.

Beyond sheer volume, the unofficial role of the largest automakers is to guide the market through complex data and trends often inaccessible to smaller players. BW’s proximity in scale to Emerson positions it to ascend further, driven in part by the strategic maneuvers of its smaller Big Three counterparts.

These global shifts inform Emerson’s realignment strategy—streamlining operations, refining brand portfolios, and preparing for a future defined by agility, insight, and strategic clarity.

Media Contact: Corporate Communications Emerson Motor Company