US MANUFACTURER of car components Johnson Controls will build its new centre for development and research near Trenčín, Economy Minister Pavol Rusko announced on September 20 in Bratislava.
The company already runs a business in Slovakia, producing car seats in Lozorno, some 40 km north of the capital Bratislava, for Volkswagen.
Rusko said that the new investor will put some Sk800-850 million (up to €21.3 million) into the new engineering centre, and employ some 550-600 workers. The minister also noted a "clustering effect", meaning that the company might be following the needs of other new investors, carmakers Kia and Peugeot.
"If the centre emerges near Trenčín, it's only because we have both Kia and Peugeot nearby," said Rusko, adding that "Johnson Controls will be dedicated to our car industry or some other industrial branches."
In addition, the activities of Johnson Controls in Slovakia will continue, since the company has decided to place another (third) investment here. Although this is still in the process of consideration, the investment should centre on a plant producing padding for seats, into which they plan to invest nearly €25 million. The plant would provide some 340 jobs.
Two Slovak localities are being considered. One is the city of Lučenec (Banská Bystrica region), and the other is as yet undisclosed. But Ondrej Zember, a spokesman for SARIO, the national agency dealing with incoming investments, says no particular locality has yet been chosen.
Johnson Controls has 265 production centres over the world (90 in Europe, of which 15 are in Central and Eastern Europe). It employs some 75,000 people worldwide (36,000 in Europe).
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
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