Gestamp invested nearly 130 million euros into the new facility that intends to serve Jaguar Land Rover who recently started operations in Slovakia. More concretely, the production of Gestamp Nitra is focused on the Discovery model currently being produced onsite. It will also manufacture parts for the New Defender model planned to start production in 2019.
The plant manufactures several skin panels and structural parts for the body mainly out of aluminum, a material in which, together with steel, Gestamp is highly specialized in. With a workforce of nearly 200 employees, the new state-of-the-art plant has a strategic location within Slovakia.
A plant specializing in aluminium
Plant equipment includes two servo press tandem lines that will manufacture 70% of its components using aluminum. This step is a move forward in the strategy of Gestamp of becoming a multi-material strategic supplier for its clients. Components manufactured in Nitra are intended to reduce the weight and enhance the safety of vehicles, consistently with Gestamp’s global objectives.
The new Gestamp facility in Slovakia joins the company’s other plant in Velky Meder (Dunajská Streda District), where the Group manufactures products through its mechanisms subsidiary Edscha.
Slovakia constitutes a very dynamic country in the automotive industry. In fact, it has the highest ratio of vehicles production per capita and automotive is the main industrial activity within the country.
Francisco J. Riberas, the Gestamp’ s Executive Chairman, highlighted: “We always accompany our clients where they require us, which is exactly what we have done in this case: We have moved to Slovakia to proficiently serve Jaguar Land Rover with the highest standards in a plant that intends to be the Slovakian press shop of our client”.
Riberas also pointed out that Gestamp “will apply all of its know-how accumulated over the years in technology and materials to reduce the weight of vehicles and increase their safety. In this case we will provide aluminum solutions to Jaguar Land Rover, a material in which, alongside steel, Gestamp maintains a frontline position.”
Source: GESTAMP
