BRATISLAVA-based carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia (VW SK) produced 426,313 vehicles last year, up by 1.5 percent compared to 2012.
“We produced the highest number of vehicles in our 23-year history in 2013,” said Albrecht Reimold, chair of board of directors in VW SK, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “We are thus at the edge of our production capacity. The Factory of the Year award for 2013 for outstanding mass production, which we will be awarded on April 1, 2014, shows how successful we are.”
The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) made up 51 percent of the production, while City cars from the New Small Family line accounted for 49 percent. Last year, the Bratislava plant produced 268,500 gearboxes. Production of components at the VW SK plant in Martin rose by 17.5 percent to 32.9 million pieces.
The carmaker’s turnover of €6.5 billion in 2013 is viewed as stable. Profits before tax amounted to €176 million. The company invested €351.9 million in Slovakia, with the money directed mainly at the construction of a new press shop and car-body shop. In total, 9,400 employees worked at Volkswagen Slovakia in 2013, TASR wrote.
Exports from VW SK last year amounted to €6.48 billion, with 99.8 percent of the vehicles produced going abroad. The largest export markets were Germany with a 33.7-percent share, China with 19.9 percent and the United States with 10.4 percent, according to TASR.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
