SLATINA, Romania (Aug. 30, 2011)—Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. has inaugurated the first stage of a five-year expansion of its Slatina tire factory that will enlarge the five-year-old plant's annual capacity more than 40 percent by 2014.
The $230 million expansion project, disclosed in 2009, will push annual capacity at the plant in southern Romania to 10 million units by 2014, making it the firm's largest car tire plant, Pirelli said. The project will enlarge the plant's size 9.4 percent to 1.88 million square feet and create 300 jobs.
The tire capacity expansion is part of a $350 million investment Pirelli approved in 2009 for its Romanian operation, which also includes production of steel tire cord in Slatina and anti-particulate filters for diesel engines at a plant in Bumbesti Jiu-Gorj.
The Romanian government contributed funding valued at about $40 million, Pirelli said.
The Slatina plant is equipped with non-robotic production technology for the production of premium tires, including high-performance, ultra-high-performance, run-flat, SUV, winter and UHP winter. Employment is expected to grow to 2,700.