NEWS
MOVINGON
Relocations and expansions across Europe
Audi to produce in Brazil CHOMARAT opens new
plant in the United States
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Prof. Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management, Brazilian State president Dilma Rousseff
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UDI AG is creating additional capacity for the next stage of the company’s growth. As of 2015, the Ingolstadt-based automobile manufacturer will produce cars in São José dos Pinhais, Brazil. The new Audi Q3 and the new A3 Sedan are to drive off the assembly line. By 2015, the company intends to invest around €150 Mio. to prepare for production at the site in São José dos Pinhais in the federal state of Paran·. As a first step, Audi will produce the new A3 Sedan here starting in 2015. A few months later, the Audi Q3 will also drive off the assembly line in Brazil. By 2016, Audi will also put a new automobile plant into operation in Mexico. With the new plants in Brazil and Mexico, Audi is consistently preparing for further growth worldwide and in particular on the South American continent. Visit: www.audi.com
TMAT invests to meet record demand
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MAT Ltd – the multi-national manufacturer of acoustic components for tractors and excavators whose customers include JCB and Volvo – is to invest a third of a million pounds in tooling to meet record demand. A successful summer of sales has seen an unprecedented 15 projects – 10 supporting the agricultural sector; and five supporting the construction industry – come to fruition for TMAT at once. TMAT MD Jason Lippitt said: “The investment has been to meet an immediate requirement and due to the record levels of interest and sales we’ve had over the summer.” Visit: www.tmatuk.com
Volvo Car Group receives approval for manufacturing in China
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hinese government authorities have approved Volvo Car Group’s establishment of manufacturing plants in Daqing and Zhangjiakou. The assembly plant in Daqing is under construction and the first pre-series cars will be built in late 2013 for training
20 Industry Europe
rench family-run company CHOMARAT, a specialist in textile reinforcements for composites, is continuing to develop its advanced composites and carbon activities with the opening of a new 58,500-ft plant in South Carolina. The plant will be dedicated to the development of CHOMARAT’s advanced composite activities. It will open during the first quarter 2014 and start producing its first C-PLYTM spread multiaxial reinforcements mid-year. The South Carolina site will initially be equipped with the new LIBA MAX5 100-inch machine (variable width) for producing spread-tow carbon multiaxials. It will be the second liba max 5 machine operated by the group, following the one installed in France. These new capabilities will enable CHOMARAT to propose its innovative advanced composite solutions in the North American industrial, automotive and aerospace markets. Visit: www.chomarat.com
TECNATOM – METALSCAN opens new premises
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Friday 11th October Javier Guerra, CEO of TECNATOM, and Bruno Lebrun, CEO of METALSCAN, officially inaugurated the new premises of TECNATOM-METALSCAN, the French leader in non-destructive testing. Relocating the group’s factory and headquarters, TECNATOM has invested more than €2 million in this site. Located in the Business Park Val de Bourgogne (Municipality of Saint Loup de Varennes, Saùne-et-Loire) on the territory of the Grand Chalon, the new premises, with an area of 3000m2, fully meets the two company objectives: to unite all services in one place and to provide additional space for developing activities. TECNATOM-METALSCAN works with leading contractors in the fields of Aerospace, Energy, Industry, ‘Tube & Pipe’, Rail and Petrochemicals. METALSCAN is part of the Spanish group TECNATOM. Visit: www.tecnatom.es
purposes. The plant is forecast to be fully operational in 2014. The engine plant in Zhangjiakou will become operational during the autumn of this year and will deliver engines to Volvo Cars’ manufacturing plant in Chengdu, where serial production will start in the fourth quarter of 2013. Zhangjiakou will also supply the assembly plant in Daqing.
The plants in Daqing and Zhangjiakou will be operated in the form of two joint venture companies, in which Volvo Cars initially will hold 30%. The remaining part will be held by companies within Geely Holding Group. The Chengdu plant will be operated under an extension of an already existing production I Holding company. Visit: www.volvocars.com
