Odžaci, Serbia -- Car parts maker Magna International Inc. has opened a new production facility that uses flexible polyurethane foam to produce seating systems, head restraints and armrests, the company said in a statement.
Magna said the new factory will supply automotive manufacturers Renault, Ford and Smart.
The factory is Located about 150km from the Belgrade. It has a floor area of 4,300 m square meters, and it has a workforce of 300, said Magna, which added that 150 more jobs could be created later.
Local media put the investment at about 5.5 million euros. The plant's opening was by a number of senior Serbian officials including the country's First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.
"For Magna Seating, today represents an exciting step forward in the expansion of manufacturing capacity of our operations in Eastern Europe," Bernhard Niggemeier, executive VP Europe for Magna Seating, said at the event.
"Magna International will have opened seven facilities in eastern Europe between 2011 and 2013 to support increased automotive production in the region," the statement said.
Magna International is headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, and operates 314 facilities and 89 product development, engineering and sales centers in 29 countries. The company has a workforce of 123,000.
This story first appeared in Plastics News.
