Dell closes in on Łódź deal

The American computer producer, which has a 20-percent global market share, is expected to invest EUR 120 (zł.474.96) million in a plant in Łódź. Including suppliers and subcontractors, the investment could create up to 12,000 new jobs, making it the largest investment in the country in terms of the number of jobs generated. The news is particularly important for the city of Łódź, which has an unemployment rate of over 14 percent - the highest among large cities in Poland.

According to the daily Gazeta Wyborcza, Dell is going to opt for Łódź because there are more than 100,000 students studying in the city. Between 20-30 percent of those employed in the plant are to have higher education. Another reason for choosing Łódź is its cost of labor, which is between 30-40 percent lower than in Kraków or Poznań.

The final negotiations between the company and the city are still on-going, but if they reach an agreement the plant could start operations next year. Dell is already present in Poland through its Warsaw-based sales bureau, which employs 80 people.