Nuremberg/Kitzingen – LEONI Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG in Kitzingen, Germany, is preparing to build a production plant in the Ukraine. Around Euro 40 million are earmarked for the project, making LEONI the largest investor to date in the Ukraine. The new plant, which will be constructed in Stryj near Lviv (formerly known as Lemberg), is expected to create 4,000 new jobs. Work on the new location with its production area of 33,000 m2 is scheduled to be finished by mid-2003.

Cable sets for the new Opel Astra

A pilot production run in rented halls is planned for the first six months of 2002. When completed, the Stryj plant will then be used by LEONI to manufacture cable sets for the new Opel Astra, which goes into mass production starting in 2004. A daily production run of 42,000 cable sets is planned. Logistics was a key criterion in choosing a location in the Ukraine, as the manufactured parts need to be delivered to Opel's final assembly points in Eisenach, Bochum, Antwerp and Ellesmere Port.

Stryj – an ideal base

Physical location wasn’t the only aspect, however, to tip the scales in favor of Stryj for the LEONI Group, which already operates on a world-wide scale with 60 locations in 22 countries. The Ukraine as a whole has an attractive wage structure, a qualified labor force and - with particular respect to the designated site in Stryj - strong support from the local government and municipal authorities.

Wiring Systems division contributes 50 % of the group’s total revenue

LEONI Bordnetz-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG is a member of LEONI AG, whose annual revenue surpassed the Euro 1 billion mark in 2001. The company’s primary customers of cable sets and complete wiring systems, which are designed and manufactured by LEONI according to customer specifications, include DaimlerChrysler, Audi/VW, General Motors und Porsche. Representing over 50 % of the company’s total revenue, the Wiring Systems division is the largest corporate division of LEONI AG.