ELBASAN, Albania—French automotive supplier Delmon Group has inaugurated a new production plant in Elbasan.
The $1.7 million plant mainly manufactures rubber parts for automotive business, including exhaust hangers, stabilizer bar bushing, seals and dampers,said Ertjan Cabiri, managing director for the Albania plant. Test runs and training began in May, he noted, and full-scale capacity was reached in October..
Located about an hour from the Durres, Alabania, port, the facility will serve German, French and other European original equipment manufacturers.
"The favorable geographical position, together with the low labor costs were the main reasons for choosing Albania," Cabiri said. The production plant already reached a $1.12 million turnover last year and is aiming to increase sales to $6,75 million by the end of this year.
Additionally, Delmon is investing roughly some $3.3 million in the facility over the next three to four years to increase sales to $22.5 million by 2024.
"We were very impressed by our Albanian workforce… Trainings on our rubber technics were highly successful," Delmon CEO Sylvain Broux said.
Based in Terrasson-Lavilledieu, France, the Delmon Group specializes in rubber-metal, anti-vibration and sealing systems for the automotive, aeronautics, railway, and oil and gas industries.
The company has production plants in Terrasson-Lavilledieu, France; Castellbisbal, Spain; and Elbasan.