Ingersoll Rand to have pan-European training centre in the Czech Republic
13 Nov. 2006 | CzechInvest | Ingersoll Rand has decided to build a new training centre for its Bobcat brand in Dobris, approximately 35 km south of Prague. This will replace the existing centre in Belgium and will be intended for training users from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Investment in the expansion of the existing Dobris production plant will reach the amount USD 32 million. Up to 300 workers should find employment in the plant. Ingersoll Rand will thus have a comprehensive site in the Czech Republic which will enable production and training, as well as research and development in one location.
“This project supports our strategy to be close to European customers. Hitherto, Bobcat machines have been supplied from factories in the United States, but these are not sufficient to meet current demand. In addition, transport across the ocean increases costs and lowers efficiency in supplying the European market,” explains Zdenek Kaiser, COO and manager of Ingersoll Rand in the Czech Republic.
Ingersoll Rand has been operating in the Czech Republic since 2001, when it took over the company Superstav. Since then, Bobcat loaders and excavators have comprised a pivotal part of the production programme. A development centre was located here two years later.
“Investments of this type are welcome in the Czech Republic. The company is not just a producer; its research and training centre is also a significant part of its operation. Thus in Dobris there will be a comprehensive site with production and training components which at the same time will include infrastructure for research and development,” adds Tomas Hruda, CEO of CzechInvest.
Construction of the plant in the Dobris industrial zone has already begun, and production should commence in May of next year. The company plans to begin recruiting new employees in the near future. “The purchased plot of land is large enough to allow future growth of production capacities as well as other operations. Discussions on the possibility of related investments are now underway,” says Zdenek Kaiser.
MORE ABOUT INGERSOLL RAND |
Ingersoll Rand (IR), with its headquarters in New Jersey, USA, is a significant engineering firm and global provider of innovations and solutions with strong brands and a leading position in the world market. IR has over 45,000 employees in 100 production plants around the world. The company entered the Czech Republic in 1992, first in Kolin, where it owns a plant for the production of cooling systems and air-conditioning units for freight vehicles, buses and rail vehicles. The company also has branches in Unicov, Dobris and Chrast u Plzen. The total volume of machines and equipment produced by Ingersoll Rand in the Czech Republic is in excess of USD 244 million.
