BRATISLAVA, August 25, (WEBNOVINY) — Car manufacturer Volkswagen Slovakia (VW SK) made 94,600 vehicles in H1 2011, up 45 percent from a year ago. Turnover swelled 33.3 percent y/y to EUR 2.4 billion. “Demand for our vehicles increased profoundly in the first half of this year again. Production, therefore, switched to 24/7 regime,” Chairman of the VW SK Board of Directors Andreas Tostmann remarked to the figures.
Nearly 94,600 Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche cars rolled off the assembly lines of the Bratislava-based factory, with over 36,000 pieces of VW Touareg, in the observed period. The plant made 201,450 gearboxes, up 3.3 percent. The output of the Martin-based factory amounted to 17.4 million components, which was a 6.6 percent increase in annualized terms.
VW SK predicts that the positive development will continue in the second half of this year. “The production launch of New Small Family series will have a positive impact on the output. Additionally, the number of our employees will come up, too,” Tostmann stated. The recruitment of some 1,500 staffers started in August.
Volkswagen Slovakia has been operating in Slovakia for twenty years. Since 1991, the auto maker produced over 2.5 million vehicles. Its plant in Bratislava assembles Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, auto bodies for Porsche Cayenne and gearboxes, the factory in Martin produces components for chasses and gearboxes and the arm in Kosice prepares vehicles to be exported to Russia. VW SK made over 144,500 cars last year. Its turnover exceeded EUR 4 billion.
SITA