BRATISLAVA, November 7 (WEBNOVINY) — Production of small cars from the New Small Family series in the Bratislava-based plant of Volkswagen Slovakia has been switched to two-shift operation on Monday. The series production of the first model of the New Small Series, Volkswagen Up! started in Bratislava in August of this year and production of Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii started later. Preparations for production of the new range of cars have been in progress since 2009 in Volkswagen Slovakia plant and investment costs were EUR 308 million. About 1,500 new jobs were created at the Bratislava-based Volkswagen Slovakia plant, company’s spokesman Vladimir Machalik told SITA news agency.
Recruitment continues of new people for production of models Volkswagen Up!, Citigo and SEAT Mii, which started in August. The company will need to hire new employees by the end of the year to open the third shift of New Small Family production. The company also began recruitment of toolmakers and servicemen with at least five years of experience and mechanical engineering and electro-technical education for the new press shop.
“Preparations for production of the small cars from the New Small Family series have been very intensive and now expansion of production should follow. These handy city cars will account for a substantial share in our production in the future,” said Andreas Tostmann, departing Chairman of the Board of Directors or Volkswagen Slovakia. “Our overall production capacities have swelled to 400,000 cars annually after the new production was launched,” he added.
Volkswagen Slovakia already operates in the Slovak Republic for twenty years. Since 1991, it has produced more than 2.5 million vehicles here. The VW plant in Bratislava manufactures Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne car bodies and transmission components. In Martin in northern Slovakia, it makes chassis components and gearboxes and in Kosice it prepares vehicles for export to Russia. In 2010, it produced more than 144 500 vehicles. Turnover exceeded 4 billion euros last year.
SITA