TrelleborgVibracoustic doubles Yantai plant as sales grow

ERJ staff report (RPN)

By Mike McNulty, Rubber & Plastics News

Shanghai — In less than a year, officials at TrelleborgVibracoustic expect its facility in Yantai, China to be twice the plant it is today.

The anti-vibration product designer and manufacturer plans to increase the size of its components factory in Yantai significantly, doubling the facility's capacity in the process, a company spokeswoman said.

Strong sales growth led to the decision to expand production capacity at the Yantai site, according to Matthias Sckuhr, president of the firm's China and Asia Pacific business.

He said TrelleborgVibracoustic has additional land available in Yantai, "so it makes perfect sense to expand the plant in preparation for our next phase of growth in the region. Booked sales are forecast to increase by over 40 percent next year with a similarly positive outlook for 2015."

Because the investment is in an existing facility, the firm said, it can move quickly to roll out the project. TrelleborgVibracoustic said the Yantai site is ideal for the expansion because the factory has an established route to market, available local contractors and a trained work force in place.

About 900 are employed at the site, which because of substantial growth and an expanding local customer base is close to maximum capacity, "so we have little scope to increase production there," Sckuhr said.

TrelleborgVibracoustic was created in July 2012 when Trelleborg A.B. and Freudenberg & Co. K.G. merged their growing antivibration products businesses into a large, stand-alone company. Trelleborg owned the Wuxi plant prior to formation of the JV, and Freudenberg owned the Yantai facility.

"China is an incredibly exciting market for us, and we are pleased to be an established player in the local automotive arena," Sckuhr said. "Wuxi will remain our principal R&D facility for Asia-Pacific, and Yantai will continue to support our expansion in the region."

TrelleborgVibracoustic, with sales of more than $2 billion in 2012, employs more than 8000 in 18 countries. It has quickly branched out since it was formed in mid-2012.

The full version of this story appears on our sister publication Rubber & Plastics News.

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