Bosch to expand Romanian plant

Starting in the spring of 2013, wheel-speed and crankshaft sensors are to be manufactured at the Blaj facility, for the automotive industry. Bosch, a supplier of technology and services, will invest some 43 million euros up to the end of 2013 in a plant extension and new manufacturing equipment. Construction will start in the spring of 2012. By the end of 2013, roughly 300 new jobs will be created in new premises covering some 21,000 square meters. By 2020, the number of associates manufacturing wheel-speed and crankshaft sensors is expected to rise to roughly 1,000. In organizational terms, the new manufacturing facility will be assigned to the Chassis Systems Control division, which develops and manufactures components and systems for active and passive automotive safety, as well as driver assistance systems. The division has more than 35 manufacturing sites around the world and employs some 16,000 associates. Up to now, Bosch Rexroth has manufactured linear-motion technology at the Blaj location, for use in mechanical engineering. The manufacturing site has existed since 2007. Some 580 associates are currently employed in Blaj. The Bosch Group has two further locations in Romania. In Bucharest, it has a sales company for power tools, thermotechnology, security systems, and automotive aftermarket products, and it runs a communication center in Timisoara. In total, some 1,400 associates currently work for Bosch in Romania.