Volkswagen to increase van production in Poznan

By 2003 the management of the Volkswagen plant in Antoninek near Poznan intends to increase the number of delivery vans it produces from 70,000 to 150,000 annually. As a result employment at the plant will increase from 2,600 to 5,000 workers. A member of the management board,Witold Malachowski, estimates that the funds designated for launching the new production model will reach zl 800 million although earlier unofficial estimates put this figure closer to zl 720 million. It is certain that the Polish plant will not launch the production of a new car model as the German headquarters of the concern have decided that delivery vans will by the plant's main area of activity. Malachowski confirmed earlier information about launching the production of a new T5 van model starting in the second half of 2002. Additionally, next year the plant in Antoninek will start the production of a municipal transport van. Malachowski refused to disclose more details about the project. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) A.Z.