It took only ten days for the Italian company UFI Filters, which manufactures filters for the automotive industry, to make a decision to set up a plant in the Opole capital. Italians will start with 100 employees in the halls on Północna Street in 2018.
“We have never had such a fast decision-making investor,” said Iwona Święch-Olender, Manager of Investor and Exporter Assistance Centre (COIE) at the Opolskie Centre for Economy Development (OCRG). – Most companies need few months or more to make such a decision, but there were also ones that needed three years to do that. In the case of UFI Filters on April 11, we have received the information that they were coming to see our sites and already on April 21 we were informed that they would like to locate in Opole.
– We are pleased to hear about another automotive investor in recent years, that indicates that Opole region has a good reputation among companies in this sector. It is very important, because automotive industry invests in modern technologies and is one of the fastest growing. What is more, every new investment creates new jobs. And it is very important for the local market – emphasizes the marshal of the Opolskie region, Andrzej Buła.
Italian investor will rent halls from the developer – CTP – who will build them in Opole at Północna Street at the area formerly belonging to the nuns, in the Opole subzone of the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone, next to the IAC halls. Roland Wrzeciono, OCRG Director, says that in the first stage of the Italian company’s investment, worth around PLN 40 million, a hall of several thousand square meters is planned.
Piotr Regeńczuk of the Investor and Exporter Assistance Centre emphasized the help of developer CTP Polska, who supported the company in the decision-making process. In the project were also involved Investor and Exporter Assistance Centre operating at Opolskie Centre for Economy Development, Opole Municipal Office, Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone Invest-Park and Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
Investor was very pleased that representatives of all institutions involved in the investment process came to the meeting with the company. It affected the positive reception and convinced the investor that everyone want to build this plant in Opole – says Piotr Regeńczuk from OCRG.
UFI Filters manufactures automotive filters. Among their customers are car manufacturers of such brands as BMW, Fiat Group, Ford Group, GM Group, Hyundai-KIA, Mercedes-Benz, PSA, Nissan-Renault, Volkswagen Group. Italian filters also go to Audi, Alfa Romeo, Seat, Volvo, and even Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. Their products one can also find in wholesale, in automotive workshops and they are used by individual customers. The company also supplies six teams competing in Formula 1 races.
UFI Filters was established in 1972. It employs 3,800 employees and has 17 plants worldwide. The company, apart from Opolskie region, also considered the location of its Polish plant in Silesia. There were few factors that convinced investorto choose Opolskie region: favorable location in terms of transport, openness and favorability of city and region authorities and also the help of people responsible for investor support.
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- Opole