Two foreign car parts giants plan new plants in the south

Spanish car interior manufacturer, Grupo Antolin, is finalizing plans to build a new factory. The company is considering two possible locations: Kraków or Wrocław. "We want to start building our factory as soon as possible," said Grupo Antolin's Personnel Director in Germany, Thomas Stohr. The new factory would create 200 jobs. "We are currently looking for a candidate to become the director of the new facility. We are also looking for grounds near Kraków or Wrocław," Stohr added. Grupo Antolin did not reveal the project's cost, but it spends on average EUR 100 million a year on investments. The company decided to invest in Southern Poland because a number of partners and clients are already located in the region, including General Motors (Gliwice), Volkswagen Group (Poznań, Polkowice) and Motorola (Kraków). (Puls Biznesu, p.6) D.W. Meanwhile, French car equipment producer Valeo announced it will invest EUR 100 million on the Polish market. The firm will build two factories, the first near Kraków producing wiper systems and a second, in Chrzanów, to produce lamps. Valeo posted profits of zł. 0.8 million last year, a 50% rise on 2002. (Parkiet, p.4) J.J.