Automotive supplier Vorwerk Autotec builds plant in Serbia

?a?ak, Serbia – German elastomer and metal autoparts manufacturer Vorwerk Autotec has begun constructing a plant to produce car suspension and sealing components in Serbia.

Wuppertal-based Vorwerk Autotec, which plans an overall investment of €43 million in the development project, held an official ceremony at the chosen site at the Preljina industrial zone in ?a?ak, central Serbia last week.

There to mark the formal launch of building works for the new plant was Serbian state President Aleksandar Vu?i? along with Vorwerk’s chief executive officer Jürgen Möller.

The president told the occasion that “this factory will not only ensure the means of living for 1,000 workers and their families”, but be important for the whole of the surrounding Moravica district and its small communities.

Vorwerk Autotec stated in a letter of intent issued in March that it expects to produce a range of moulded rubber and plastic based bushings and sealing products for leading German vehicle builders.

Customers listed in the letter of intent by Vorwerk Autotec include Audi, BMW, Mini, Volkswagen and Porsche.

In an initial construction stage, the company intends to complete production buildings covering an area of 40,000m2. A final project phase will see the green field plant size grow to 65,000m2 on the 6 ha site.

Last year, the company was reported to be seeking a suitable site for a plant in Serbia. It was said to be considering either locating it in the Loznica area, close to the Bosnian border or close to Kraljevo in central Serbia.

Vorwerk Autotec was established in 2002 as a spin off business from the old established family owned German industrial corporation Vorwerk & Sohn of Wuppertal.

The German firm has a string of other production plants in France, Slovakia, Poland and Germany as well as in China, India, Mexico and the US.