The 5,000 m2 plant will produce constant velocity jointed sideshafts for a number of automotive customers from early 2015.
“Russia is a key growth market for car manufacturers and this is an important step for GKN,” said Andrew Reynolds Smith, CEO of GKN Automotive. “A key part of our strategy is to continue the development of our global footprint, building the capability to add more value for our customers across a range of Driveline products.
“GKN already supplies Driveline products to many of the large car manufacturers in Russia, but the new plant, which is the first of its kind in the country, will offer locally-produced products together with the excellent service our customers already expect from GKN.”
Growing industry
According to GKN, the Russian automotive industry produces over two million cars each year. Production is forecast to grow driven by increasing demand and government policies that are aimed at creating new production facilities and additional investment in the automotive market.
