“We have established our position as a producer of high quality conveyor belts and a solution provider with top services among demanding customers,” said Thomas Fahnemann, CEO of Vienna, Austria-headquartered Semperit.
Because of that, he said, the company can gain market share steadily, “even in an overall difficult economic environment.” With the additional capacity at the plant, he added, the Sempertrans business, which is part of Semperit's industrial products group, can continue to expand, open new markets “and push our global expansion, as planned.”
Fahnemann said Poland offers ideal production conditions for the industrial sector because the country has highly qualified employees, competitive energy costs and is located in close proximity to important markets and key customers.
The conveyor belt market is growing by roughly 3 percent annually worldwide, according to Boris Illetschko, head of the Sempertrans business. He said the three biggest growth areas are Asia, Australia and South America.
Megatrend mining and the increasing demand for energy and raw materials determine market growth for conveyor belts, he said.
In addition to mining, Sempertrans' products are used in the steel and cement industries, power stations and the transport industry. The spokeswoman said Sempertrans' Belchatow plant is the largest conveyor belt production site in Europe and specializes in heavy duty steel cord and textile belts.
A research and development center located at the site continuously develops new products, she said, with its most recent addition being an energy saving belt used by several major customers.