THE JUH (South) industrial zone in the city of Lučenec (Banská Bystrica region) will expand and preparatory works have been divided into three stages, officials from the municipality told the TASR news wire.
The industrial zone was initially spread over only 10.3 hectares. Then Johnson Controls (US) bought 9.3 hectares from the municipality to build a factory making foam filling for children's car seats.
The second stage of the Juh industrial park includes an area of 20.9 hectares that belongs to the Slovak Land Fund and private individuals.
Lučenec plans to let the land long-term and has held preliminary discussions with the private landowners on buying the land. No price has been set yet, but all the owners are willing to sell.
Also, Lučenec representatives say they are negotiating with other potential investors whose names cannot yet be revealed.
The building of the infrastructure will be managed by city officials from the money raised by the land sales, as well as from a financial subsidy of Sk30 million (€767,000) promised by the Slovak Government via the Economy Ministry, which in turn has access to European Union funding for such initiatives. All works will have to be finished by December 1, 2005.
Currently, an archaeological dig connected with the reassembling of public utility lines is being conducted by Johnson Controls.
The investor, based in Plymouth, Michigan plans to invest €25 million (Sk976 million) in Lučenec and employ 350 people. The new plant should start production in the first half of 2006 and will be in full operation by 2007. It will mainly supply the Hyundai/KIA company in Žilina.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
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