GKN Driveline is set to begin production at a new facility in Oleśnica, South West Poland.
The new 153,708 square meter (1,654,499 square foot) facility is the first phase of a €16.5 million (approximately $18.3 million USD) investment program in Oleśnica and effectively doubles GKN’s footprint in Poland.
The expansion will help GKN meet increasing demand in the region for more advanced sideshafts and propshafts. GKN Driveline Oleśnica will supply driveline technologies to global vehicle platforms produced by Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors and Volvo, among others.
The new production facility is close to an existing GKN facility in Oleśnica, which produces constant velocity joints. A new engineering facility employing around 50 engineers at the site also will provide testing and application engineering support for customer programs.
Speaking at an opening ceremony for customers, employees and local dignitaries, Phil Swash, GKN Driveline Chief Executive, said, “Poland is an important regional hub for the development and production of the essential driveline technologies that GKN supplies globally. The expansion of our footprint here reinforces our leading position in Europe and will enable GKN to keep pace with demand for technologies that help make drivelines lighter, smoother and more efficient.”
GKN originally established operations in Poland in 1996 and currently employs around 1,000 people. As production increases in Oleśnica, employment is expected to reach 1,400 employees over the next three to four years. Future plans for the development of the site include the addition of new forging capacity. When fully operational, the plant will have capacity to produce more than 10 million sideshafts per year and 1 million propshafts.
Mariusz Karolewski, GKN Driveline Oleśnica plant director, noted, “This expansion of our operations in Poland demonstrates strong demand for the innovation and quality that GKN brings to essential driveline technologies. With automakers expanding in Eastern Europe, this new facility provides additional local supply and technical support, and shows Poland’s automotive sector going from strength to strength.”
