Japan's TRI invests £8.6m in Poland

Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI), a Japanese manufacturer of plastic and rubber parts for the automotive sector, is to build a new £8.6m components plant in southern Poland.

TRI Group subsidiary TRI (Poland) has been producing anti-vibration and sound-proofing parts for cars mainly assembled by Japanese manufacturers in Europe at its plant in Wolbrom, Poland.

The new facility, planned for a site to the east in the Euro-Park Special Economic Zone at Mielec, is intended to meet growing demand for components for European vehicle builders. TRP is already supplying some European customers.

At Mielec, TRI plans to produce parts for engine suspension, bodywork, polyurethane shields and engine and transmission covers. The first products will leave the line there in August next year. By 2015, the plant should be employing a 200 strong workforce, according to TRI.

The company intends to enhance its product development capability in Poland to enable it to meet specific customer demands for vehicle components. This project will give TRI Group a total of five development centres around the globe including sites in Komaki, Japan; China; Thailand and the US.

Expanding sales in Europe is a key target in the group’s medium term management plant to 2015. In June this year, TRI opened its European sales strategy base in Germany, it reported.

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