July 16 (SeeNews) - US-based car parts manufacturer Dura Automotive Systems said it would open a production site in Macedonian capital Skopje.
The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019, spreading on an area of 16,000 sq m in the Skopje Free Trade Zone, the company said in a statement published on its website.
"This new location is essential to support our growth in Europe. We have designed the facility with a high degree of vertical integration, incorporating state-of-the-art process technology to produce lightweight aluminium systems with extremely resilient painted and anodized finishes," Tyrone Jordan, Dura Automotive Systems' president and CEO, said in the statement.
Initial product launches will include lightweight aluminium exterior trim and roof rail systems to support the needs of European original equipment manufacturers.
When fully staffed, the new manufacturing site will employ approximately 500.
Macedonia will be Dura Automotive Systems' 37th location and its 16th in Europe, a market that represents half of the company’s global revenues.
Founded in 1914, the company invests in vehicle lightweighting, design, mechatronics, advanced safety and advanced mobility.
Dura Automotive Systems employs more than 9,400 people in 14 countries. The company markets complete systems and modules to automakers in the Americas, Asia and Europe.