ANOTHER car maker is showing interest in setting up shop in Slovakia, the Hospodárske Noviny daily wrote. Kechnec Mayor Jozef Konkoly confirmed for the daily that he is holding talks with an automotive firm on its possible investment, but did not want to disclose its name at this stage of negotiations.
"It is a renowned international trademark, which plans to manufacture higher-end passenger cars in eastern Slovakia," said Konkoly. "An investment of tens of billions of crowns and hundreds of jobs is at stake."
The daily reported having information that claims that this company is the Ford Motor Company, which confirmed last year that it is considering building a factory in the region. "Eastern Europe markets are growing; we will have to think over a stronger presence in the region," Todd Nissen from the communications department of the company's representation in Europe said at the time.
However, Ford has denied the speculations. The Pravda daily quoted an anonymous source from Ford on June 21, who said that Ford is not planning any investments near Košice.
After Volkswagen in Bratislava, PSA Peugeot Citroen in Trnava and Kia Motors in Žilina, Ford would be the fourth car maker to invest in Slovakia. The Kechnec mayor expects that everything will be made clear in September.
