On 4th October 2007 MAN Nutzfahrzeuge officially opened its new assembly plant for heavy trucks in Niepolomice near Cracow, Poland. Some 500 guests attended the opening ceremony, among them high-ranking politicians from Poland and Germany, MAN employees and representatives of the companies involved in the building project. In his opening speech Anton Weinmann, Chairman of the Executive Board of the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group, also welcomed the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the MAN Group, Hon.
Prof. Dr. techn. h.c. Dipl.-Ing. ETH Ferdinand K. Piëch, and the Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN AG, Håkan Samuelsson.
In his speech Mr. Weinmann underlined the fact that Poland has become an important pillar in the international growth strategy of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge: "We build our low-floor buses in Starachowice, our city buses in Poznan and now our heavy trucks in Niepolomice. After all, every second major logistics provider in Poland now bases its operations on MAN products". Mr. Weinmann addressed a special word of thanks to the Mayor of Niepolomice, Stanislaw Kracik, emphasising that he had supported MAN Nutzfahrzeuge in the building project right from the start. After Mr. Weinmann's speech Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Cracow, pronounced the blessing on the new plant.
Production of heavy MAN trucks over 16 tonnes
The new plant near Cracow will build heavy MAN trucks with gross weights over 16 tonnes, mostly from the MAN TGA WW range. The first pre-series vehicles rolled off the production line in the middle of this year. The new plant has now commenced series production and with its present workforce of 400 will have produced up to 4,000 trucks by the end of the year. It is designed for a maximum output of 15,000 units per shift. By mid-2010 the company will be employing at least 650 people at the new facility.
Pillar in MAN's international growth strategy
Against the backdrop of the international growth strategy of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge the new plant is taking on a key role. "We are assuming that above all the markets in Eastern Europe and the CIS will be growing at above-average rates. And we want to share in this growth," said Lars Wrebo, Director Production at the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group, at the official opening. The trucks to be built near Cracow are above all to satisfy the demand from these growth regions. Components such as axles, cabs and engines will be supplied direct from the network of production plants in Germany and Austria.
New plant is MAN Nutzfahrzeuge's third in Poland
Alongside the bus plants in Starachowice and Poznan, the truck plant by Cracow is the third Polish location in the interlinked production set-up operated by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge. The decision in favour of Cracow was made after an intensive search in which factors such as the infrastructure, costs, availability of qualified labour and the legal and industrial framework played a key role. "The decisive point was finding the right balance between logistics costs and personnel costs. Cracow is our geographical optimum," explained Dr. Marc Sielemann, Managing Director of MAN Trucks Sp. z o.o. near Cracow and also General Project Manager in charge of construction of the new truck plant. He went on to mention the very good experience in the existing plants in Poland.
Today MAN employs just under 4,000 persons in Poland.
Prof. Dr. techn. h.c. Dipl.-Ing. ETH Ferdinand K. Piëch, and the Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN AG, Håkan Samuelsson.
In his speech Mr. Weinmann underlined the fact that Poland has become an important pillar in the international growth strategy of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge: "We build our low-floor buses in Starachowice, our city buses in Poznan and now our heavy trucks in Niepolomice. After all, every second major logistics provider in Poland now bases its operations on MAN products". Mr. Weinmann addressed a special word of thanks to the Mayor of Niepolomice, Stanislaw Kracik, emphasising that he had supported MAN Nutzfahrzeuge in the building project right from the start. After Mr. Weinmann's speech Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Cracow, pronounced the blessing on the new plant.
Production of heavy MAN trucks over 16 tonnes
The new plant near Cracow will build heavy MAN trucks with gross weights over 16 tonnes, mostly from the MAN TGA WW range. The first pre-series vehicles rolled off the production line in the middle of this year. The new plant has now commenced series production and with its present workforce of 400 will have produced up to 4,000 trucks by the end of the year. It is designed for a maximum output of 15,000 units per shift. By mid-2010 the company will be employing at least 650 people at the new facility.
Pillar in MAN's international growth strategy
Against the backdrop of the international growth strategy of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge the new plant is taking on a key role. "We are assuming that above all the markets in Eastern Europe and the CIS will be growing at above-average rates. And we want to share in this growth," said Lars Wrebo, Director Production at the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group, at the official opening. The trucks to be built near Cracow are above all to satisfy the demand from these growth regions. Components such as axles, cabs and engines will be supplied direct from the network of production plants in Germany and Austria.
New plant is MAN Nutzfahrzeuge's third in Poland
Alongside the bus plants in Starachowice and Poznan, the truck plant by Cracow is the third Polish location in the interlinked production set-up operated by MAN Nutzfahrzeuge. The decision in favour of Cracow was made after an intensive search in which factors such as the infrastructure, costs, availability of qualified labour and the legal and industrial framework played a key role. "The decisive point was finding the right balance between logistics costs and personnel costs. Cracow is our geographical optimum," explained Dr. Marc Sielemann, Managing Director of MAN Trucks Sp. z o.o. near Cracow and also General Project Manager in charge of construction of the new truck plant. He went on to mention the very good experience in the existing plants in Poland.
Today MAN employs just under 4,000 persons in Poland.
