Gates to open power transmission belt plant in Poland

DENVER (June 30)—Tomkins P.L.C. subsidiary, Gates Rubber, is building a 167,000-sq.-ft. power transmission belting plant in Legnica, Poland, to supply automotive and industrial original equipment manufacturers in Eastern Europe. The plant—on 15.5 acres—will produce synchronous and micro-V belts for automotive OEMs and industrial V-belts and is expected to start production by mid-2001. Construction of the plant heralds a restructuring of Gates´ European belting operations and will result in the cessation of belt production at the company´s Erembodegem, Belgium, plant by the end of 2002. The Belgian plant will continue to mix rubber for Gates´ European PT belt and hose manufacturing and may expand its mixing operations and hose manufacturing, Gates said. The restructuring should not affect other Gates European PT belting sites.