SLATINA, Romania—Pirelli is set to invest about $233.4 million in its Slatina production site through 2021, the company said on Sept. 30.
Celebrating 10 years of its presence in Romania, Pirelli said the amount would bring the total investment in the country to about $826 million with 500 new jobs created.
The investment will bring annual production capacity up to 15 million units, from the present 10 million.
The factory's floor space will be extended by about 170,000 square feet.
The expansion plan also involves the production area in Slatina dedicated to motorsport, which includes a F1 production unit. This will serve as back-up for the main Pirelli F1 plant in Turkey.
The announcement comes only a few months after a mid-July failed coup in Turkey against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking at the 10-year anniversary ceremony, Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera said the Slatina plant represents a key logistics and commercial hub for all of Eastern Europe.
He added that Romania's ability to attract and support international investments was one of the main reasons behind the investment.
Also attending the ceremony were Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos; finance minister Anca Dana Dragu; minister for labour Dragos Pîslaru; Pirelli and Pirelli Tyres Romania CEO Giuliano Menassi.