KRALJEVO, Serbia—German cable and wiring systems manufacturer Leoni A.G. continues to grow in Serbia, opening its fourth and largest production plant in the city of Kralijevo. It's the first new manufacturing facility in the region in 30 years.
The location, Leoni noted, strengthens its position as "a high-performance supplier" of energy and data management systems to the international automotive industry.
Spanning more than 645,000 square feet, the $60 million site will employ up to 5,000 people at full capacity by the end of 2023, according to a Leoni news release.
"Leoni is clearly focused on growth in this region—offering more job opportunities, expanding its business, becoming the biggest industrial employer in Serbia," Pierluigi Ghione, managing director of Leoni Wiring Systems Southeast d.o.o., said in a statement. "What is more important than being the biggest employer is being the best employer. This is not an easy task, but we as one Leoni Serbia Team, together with central and local authorities, are working very hard to achieve this goal. Good working conditions, career advancement within the international automotive industry combined with an interesting motivation package and great team spirit, are qualities which make Leoni a very interesting and appealing employer."
In a separate statement, the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS) said the new site will be Leoni's largest plant within its cable systems division.
Among other products, the division supplies TPE-based and elastomeric cables to the automotive, health care, energy and industrial segments.
Leoni Serbia was founded in 2009 with the opening of a factory in Prokuplje. The group's second factory opened five years later in Malosiste, in the municipality of Doljevac, followed by a third plant in mid-2017.