International Automotive Components (IAC), a supplier of premium automotive interiors, has officially opened its state-of-the-art plant for tailored interiors in Opole, Poland. The new location will serve as the company’s center of excellence for highly crafted cut-and-sewn and hand-wrapped components, starting with premium instrument panels. The new operation will create about 550 skilled jobs in the region.
IAC has invested more than $20 million (USD) into the new location, which will cover an area of more than 27,000 square meters (290,625 square feet) at its completion. The facility went from groundbreaking to the start of serial production in just seven months and it is positioned to accommodate further growth.
“From a strategic point of view, Opole is an ideal location for us. Eastern Europe continues to be a strong growth region for automotive. At this new location, we can focus on our first-class manufacturing skills and serve our premium customers across Europe,” said Jonas Nilsson, president, European Region, International Automotive Components Group. “We are in the process of recruiting a large, skilled workforce who shares IAC’s passion for quality and superior customer service in delivering our stylish, premium products that go into some of the most successful Scandinavian vehicles around the globe.”
“Tailored, highly crafted interiors are, and will continue to be, core to our product portfolio. Our research shows that the demand for wrapped interior components using leather, artificial leather and premium textiles will grow substantially to support the consumer’s desire for a personalized driving experience. This is especially true for the premium vehicle segment, in which IAC has its strength. As we move toward fully autonomous vehicles, individual flexibility of the interiors is expected to drive demand for handcrafted solutions and integrated electronic functions in interior components. That is why we expect an increase in wrapped products globally by 38 percent from 6 million parts to about 9 million in the next three years,” said Marcus Nyman, senior vice president, Global Strategic Development, International Automotive Components Group.
“IAC Opole will serve as the company’s Center of Excellence for tailored interiors, combining superior manufacturing and processes with development capabilities. For example, exploring new synthetic materials with natural leather look and feel and antiseptic features will be of importance, as we see the usage rate of vehicles increasing with the trend of shared mobility,” added Nilsson.
The grand opening ceremony on Oct. 24 was attended by IAC top management and employees together with client representatives and local authorities.
