Magna launches construction of a second paint shop in Maribor/Hoce, Slovenia, to supplement operations at its Magna Steyr contract-assembly facility in Graz, Austria.
The $100 million plant 45 miles (75 km) south of Graz is slated for completion in late 2018, with operations to begin in early 2019. Magna says in a news release it has begun recruiting about 400 workers.
High demand for engineering and contract manufacturing by automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover has resulted in the Graz facility running at high capacity utilization. Magna Steyr assembles the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class there, with Jaguar E-PACE CUV production beginning now and all-electric Jaguar I-PACE builds expected to launch early in 2018.
Magna Steyr says it expects to contract manufacture approximately 200,000 vehicles per year under these and other upcoming programs by 2018.
“The all-in-one competence in vehicle engineering and manufacturing puts Magna in a unique position in the global automotive supply industry, which we continuously push forward with new investments,” says Günther Apfalter, president-Magna International Europe & Magna Steyr.
Magna employs more than 161,000 people at 327 manufacturing operations and 100 product development, engineering and sales centers in 29 countries.
