Groundbreaking ceremony for plant expansion of FACC in Croatia
Together with representatives from politics and business, including Davor Filipović, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia and the Chinese Ambassador to Croatia, the groundbreaking ceremony for the plant expansion in Croatia took place today. The production area of the plant, which opened in 2022 for the production of high-tech components for cabin interiors, will be tripled and an additional office building will be built. The construction work will be completed in June 2024, and by the end of 2026, the workforce will also almost triple to 600 employees. FACC AG is investing €21 million in the expansion of its site in Croatia.
“FACC is a leading aerospace company and an established partner to the global aerospace industry. Due to many factors, we have made the decision to build the largest production site outside of Austria here. This has proven to be correct. Already at the opening in 2022, we announced that we would soon expand the plant. I am very pleased that we are now in the implementation phase of this important milestone for FACC,” emphasizes CEO Robert Machtlinger.
“With the expansion of our capacities at the Croatia site, we are setting new standards with a plant that meets the latest standards. This location is very attractive for us, especially due to the excellently trained specialists on site and the very good connection to the Group headquarters,” says FACC COO Andreas Ockel, confirming the growing importance of this location for FACC’s production network.
“FACC’s agility in the implementation of the first part of the investment and the start of a new construction phase, during which the production area of the Jakovlje plant will be tripled, which will ultimately lead to a higher production volume and the employment of hundreds of employees, is a sign that Croatia is becoming a more attractive investment country day by day. This is an additional impetus for the Government of the Republic of Croatia to continue the processes that position Croatia as a reliable partner for investors, and I particularly welcome FACC’s plans towards decarbonisation and sustainable development,” underlined Croatian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović.
Sustainable production
A PV system on an area of 2,000 m2 will provide around two-thirds of the annual energy consumption currently required and thus make a significant contribution to sustainable production. Further expansion is already being planned. FACC already relies on an energy mix of photovoltaics, geothermal energy and electricity from hydropower at its sites in Austria to cover its energy needs.
State-of-the-art equipment
For the expansion of the new plant, FACC is also relying on a high degree of automation and state-of-the-art machines for the production of lightweight components for passenger aircraft and business jets. These include a fully automated paint shop as well as high-precision production systems, which will enable faster ramp-up processes and higher quantities in the future. In the office building, which was also constructed, specialists from the fields of IT, engineering and purchasing will support on-site production as well as FACC’s central functions. In total, the site will be around 12,500 m2 expanded.
Original article HERE
Image source: facc.com