China’s Haier, Korea’s TriView Start Construction of 9.0 Mln Euro LCD TV Monitors Plant in Macedonia

The factory, located in the Bunardzik free economic zone, near the capital Skopje, will add PCs to its product range at the later stage, the government said in a statement.

The factory, with a production site of 7,300 hectares, will initially hire 100 workers, increasing their number to 300 over the next four years, the statement added.

The fact that Haier has chosen Macedonia as an investment destination in Europe would send a positive signal to other Chinese companies, Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said earlier.

Last October, the Macedonian government said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with TriView for the construction of a factory for LCD TV monitors, as well as personal computers and laptops.

The construction of the factory was due to begin this April but was delayed due to the global economic crisis.

Haier is among the world’s largest white goods manufacturer and one of China’s top 100 IT companies.

Seoul-based TriView Co Limited is one of the world's 10 leading manufactures of LCD monitors, marketing its products in Korea and the U.S.

U.S. Johnson Controls was the first tenant to settle in the Bunardzik free industrial zone, opening an electronic car parts factory there in 2006.

($=0.682 euro)