The collaboration between Austrian automaker Magna and BMW has been going on for decades now, the German car maker trusting its partner with the production of several models over the years. Even today, cars like the new Z4 are being made by the Austrians under contract and they just announced yet another factory is opening up, solely to manufacture parts for the Bavarian brand.
The event took place today in Chomutov, Czech Republic. It was the small European country close to Austria where Magna International decided to open its 16th seating plant in Europe. They also have 50 more locations around the world, including several research and development sites. This would be Magna’s fifth plant in the Czech Republic, a country with which it has long-standing ties. This particular plant will solely be making seating systems in various configurations for BMW.
According to Magna, the state-of-the-art facility uses smart factory manufacturing concepts to increase efficiency and quality output for customers as well as provide a flexible work environment for employees. The plant has a production area measuring 6,000 square meters and the capacity to produce more than 360,000 seat sets per year. The plant has created 150 new jobs and is expected to add an additional 150 employees throughout 2019. There’s no word on the financial details of the deal with BMW but it’s a known fact that the two companies have been successfully working together for decades.
“This is a big win for our employees as well as our community, where we are making a positive economic impact. Our facility is using the latest technology with special attention given to high flexibility so that we can react quickly to new developments and changing requirements of our customers,” said General Manager Martin Polívka of Chomutov Seating.
“We don’t just build seats, we define what’s possible and we deliver on that to meet our customers’ ever-changing needs,” said Mike Bisson, President Magna Seating. “Continuing to win business with a customer like BMW Group is critical to our global growth and speaks to our ability to produce innovative, cost-effective seating solutions.”
