Brembo's iron will

Italian Brembo, a cast iron rough products maker, held the grand opening of its newest foundry in Dąbrowa Górnicza for producing iron castings for brake discs last week. The company invested around EUR 45 (zł.171) million in the facility, which took one year to construct.

Piotr Woźniak, Minister of Economic Affairs, and Giulio Tremonti, Italy's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, were both on hand for the ceremony. The foundry is billed as one of the most modern plants of its kind in Europe, and when it is fully staffed, the number of Brembo employees in Poland will rise from 800 to over 1,000.

"Poland is a strategic place for our company," Alberto Bombassei, Brembo's CEO said. "It is the second-biggest country in terms of investment value and number of employees. We have already invested EUR 100 (zł.380) million and we will invest another EUR 20 (zł.76) million in 2006."

Brembo is considered one of the world's biggest producers and designers of brake discs. The company provides brake solutions to the majority of the world's well-known automotive and bicycle producers. The companies which the foundry from Dąbrowa Górnicza will supply include Audi, Daimler Chrysler, Fiat, Land Rover and Volvo.