Injection moulding machinery maker Engel has opened a new manufacturing facility in Serbia.
The 13,000 sq m facility in Kikinda will produce machined components.
The move forms part of a targeted Engel strategy to establish a resilient European supply chain and relocate mechanical manufacturing operations to make better use of international location advantages.
Supply reliability
Customers in European and American markets will benefit from shorter lead times and greater supply reliability, while Engel’s Austrian plants will gain capacity to focus on more demanding, customer-specific system solutions, Engel said.
Around 150 employees are expected to be hired at the new site over the next three years.
Peter Jungwirth will assume the role of managing director of Engel Serbia in addition to his current position as commercial director of the Kaplice site in the Czech Republic.
‘Greater flexibility’
“The new Kikinda site complements our existing plants across Europe,” said Stefan Engleder, chief executive of the Engel group.
“It improves our cost efficiency and gives us greater flexibility compared to sourcing directly from Asia. Our Austrian plants will have more room to focus on what we do best: highly complex, tailored system solutions that are in demand worldwide.”
Earlier this month, it emerged that French injection moulding machinery manufacturer Billion had ceased making equipment but would continue servicing its existing machines through a new strategic partnership with Engel.
