The Schaeffler Group is increasing its capacity by building a new manufacturing hall in Debrecen, Hungary. The laying of the foundation stone is planned for this year and the first products are to be delivered in the second half of 2017. The project is also of great importance for the Hungarian economy.
Szikora Levente from the Hungarian Investment Agency, Péter Szabó, Managing Director of FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft., the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Prof. Dr. Rainer Lindner, CEO of the Central and Eastern Europe subregion at Schaeffler, Róbert Ésik, President of the Hungarian Investment Agency and Dr. Barcsa Lajos, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, are delighted about the investment for extending the Schaeffler plant in Debrecen.
The FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft. plant in Debrecen, which is owned by the Schaeffler Group, is to be extended. The automotive supplier is reacting to the increasing demand for rolling bearings in Europe by building this new manufacturing hall.
Innovative technology
The new production facilities will also be equipped with machines featuring state-of-the-art grinding technology for manufacturing rolling bearings. The production volume in the Hungarian plant will increase by approximately 50 percent. The number of employees will also increase by around 500 during the next few years. Schaeffler will therefore become the largest employer in the region.
Hungarian government promotes investment
Schaeffler is investing around 80 million euros in the extension of the plant. The Hungarian government is also supporting the project, which was presented last week in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Budapest. “Central and Eastern Europe is of major importance for the Schaeffler Group. We have excellent conditions for our production and investment in Hungary. We would like to thank the Hungarian government for its sustained support of our activities”, emphasized Professor Dr. Rainer Lindner, CEO of the Central and Eastern Europe subregion at Schaeffler, during this meeting with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Budapest. Péter Szabó, Managing Director of the Schaeffler plant FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft., is also delighted about the good news for the Debrecen location: “The decision by the Hungarian government is an important contribution. It shows that companies from the automotive sector are regarded as a key factor for the Hungarian economy and strong partners for investment.”
Increasing customer requirements for rolling bearings
The foundation stone for the extension will probably be laid in the late summer of this year. The first parts from the new production facilities are to be delivered in the second half of 2017. “With this investment in the Debrecen location, the Schaeffler Group is increasing its capacities for the European market. We will therefore be able to fulfill the growing requirements for rolling bearings from customers in the automotive sector even more reliably and quickly. Our objective is to become even more customer-focused”, says Dietmar Heinrich, Schaeffler’s CEO Europe.
The plant in Debrecen
The production location in Debrecen is one of two Schaeffler plants in Hungary. Around 1,400 employees manufacture mainly rolling bearings for the automotive industry at FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft. Bearings of up to 120 mm diameter are produced for the Europe region.
This photo montage shows the planned extension with the dark gray roof directly next to the existing manufacturing hall of the Schaeffler plant in Debrecen, Hungary.
source: Schaeffler
