Salzburg-listed crane manufacturer Palfinger is now planning a second production location in Slovenia. The company will invest up to 70 million euros in a new production facility in the small town of Ormož in the northeast of the country. Palfinger currently operates a factory in Maribor, Slovenia.
The path for the Palfinger factory will be paved next week – the Slovenian government will sign a “Memorandum of Understanding” with Palfinger, allowing state financing. “Yesterday, Thursday, the government agreed to the signing of the memorandum to ensure the survival and further growth of the company in Slovenia,” said a statement from the Slovenian Ministry of Economy.
The letter of intent is expected to be signed in Ormož on Wednesday by Palfinger COO Alexander Susanek, Slovenian Economy Minister Matjaž Han and Ormož Mayor Danijel Vrbnjak.
New training and logistics center planned
Palfinger wants to invest up to 70 million euros in the new factory by 2028 and at the same time keep the existing factory in Maribor – which has become too small for the business volume. The new location is to be expanded in several phases by 2035 and, in addition to the construction of a new production facility, also includes the construction of a training center and a logistics center.
This should also define possible state aid measures for the investment. However, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, this does not yet mean a concrete commitment to state financing. This will be decided according to the usual procedures.
Palfinger has operated the Maribor factory since 1993. With approximately 900 employees, this is one of the Austrian group’s largest production facilities, according to a Slovenian daily. “The capacity of the factory has been reached and expansion is not possible at this location. The company therefore examined several other locations in the northeast of the country before deciding on the recently expanded commercial zone in Ormož,” the company said.
Source: Krone
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