Photos: Tristone continues to grow Poland operation

WALBRZYCH, Poland—Tristone Flowtech Group GmbH's production complex in Walbrzych is growing rapidly as is the company's capabilities to produce more rubber hose and plastic pipes.

Work on an estimated 14,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the firm's plastic products building was recently completed and a grand opening ceremony at the site was held in early June. "The group spent $3.4 million on investments in the expanded plastic production facility as well as in machinery and equipment," according to Guenter Froelich, CEO and president of Tristone.

In addition, about 5,400 square feet was added to the company's central engineering laboratory.

Meanwhile, on June 19, a groundbreaking was held to mark another expansion, this one to double the manufacturing and logistics space at the firm's hose and logistics halls within the complex. Tristone plans to expand them by about 66,700 square feet, Froelich said.

He said more machinery and equipment will be added at the hose building as part of the expansion, which is needed to help handle booked business with major original equipment manufacturers.

Tristone will spend an estimated $8.3 million on the expanded hose manufacturing and logistics halls as well as for the additional machinery and equipment, he said, adding that completion of the expansion is expected by March 2020.

"Total plant production and logistic space (in the entire complex) currently is about 119,500 square feet without the further expansion of 66,700 square feet (at the hose and logistics halls)," Froelich said. Also not included is space used for the engineering laboratory and offices.

Tristone, which has an overall work force of more than 3,400 employees, currently employs close to 700 at its Walbrzych complex and expects to add another 200 employees in the next two years, the company said.

The production plant produces a broad range of products, including engine and battery cooling hoses, automated engine cooling hoses with Creatube technology, wrapped hoses as well as single-layer and multilayer plastic pipes.

Its automotive customers include Ford, Volvo, RSA, Nissan, FCA, PSA, Daimler, BMW, JLR and Ferrari.

Froelich anticipates the firm could reach a significant breakthrough in the market with new plastic pipe products in the next few years, "especially for engine and battery cooling applications."

Tristone expects to grow about 10 percent in 2019 to $360 million in sales from $326 million in 2019 thanks to start-ups throughout its European plants, including sites in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey, he said. Also contributing to that increase will be the firm's new plant in the U.S. along with production facilities in Mexico, India and China.

Looking farther ahead, the company hopes to boost revenues another 24 percent in 2020 to reach close to $440 million based on booked business with global OEMs in Europe, the NAFTA region, China and India, despite a weaker automotive business in some markets.

Tristone opened a new hose manufacturing facility in Mooresville, N.C., in April 2019 to help expand its reach in the NAFTA region. The plant primarily supports automotive customers in the U.S. and Canada. While the facility currently is producing hose systems, the company plans to add plastic pipe and plastic surge tank production for engine and battery cooling applications for major OEMs at the site in the near future.

In October 2018, the firm opened a factory in India with the production of plastic surge tanks for a leading automotive customer and is preparing for the start-up of the manufacture of plastic surge tanks and engine cooling hose for other automotive customers in the country.