Grupo Antolin has opened a new EUR4.5m production plant in Nededza, Slovakia, close to key customer Kia Motors’ car plant.
Antolin, which expanded local capacity by switching manufacturing to a new 5,000m² leased plant, is producing interior components there including modular headliners and door panels, European Plastics News reported. Production began at the beginning of January and the plant formally opened early in February.
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The report said the new factory increases manufacturing space, warehousing and offices on a site nearer to Kia’s Zilina works than Antolin’s original plant. The Spanish supplier also employs 205 at another headliner plant in the Slovak capital Bratislava.
The Nededeza plant, employing 90, will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 modular headliners and is expected to achieve sales in 2012 of around EUR16m, the publication said.
The first products off the new lines reportedly were headliners and door panels for Kia’s Venga and headliners for the Sportage SUV.
Last year, Kia Motors turned out a total of 252,000 cars at its Zilina factory, 10% more than manufactured during 2010.
Meanwhile, the Spanish tier 1 automotive components supplier is extending its push into the world’s fast growing BRIC countries. It is in the process of creating a three way joint venture in northern China with Japanese polyurethane foams processor Inoac and the Chinese company Ningbo Huaxiang Electronic.
The deal is aimed at enabling the three partners to consolidate their commercial resources in that region of China, according to Antolin.
