"With every such project we open, we are one step forward towards the technological modernisation of Bulgaria", said Minister for Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov, who opened a new plant for the production of high-tech, critical components for cars in Stara Zagora.
The company ranks among the largest in the automotive sector in the region. It was built with investments of over 50 million BGN by the Dutch company Nedschroef with the assistance of the Bulgarian Commercial Attaché in Bavaria Stefan Yonkov. Designed and built by the German division of the Nedschroef company. This became clear during the official ceremony for the presentation and opening of the investment, which was attended by the Mayor of Stara Zagora Zhivko Todorov, the CEO of the company Paul Raedts, representatives of the business from the region.
The new production capacity is located on an area of nearly 30,000 sq. m in the industrial zone of Stara Zagora and will enable an increase in employment in the region. The full deployment of the project will create 300 new jobs.
"The investment is important for Bulgaria and the region because such global companies transfer key technologies in the automotive industry to Bulgaria. It confirms that the interest in Stara Zagora from investors is exceptional at the moment", said Minister Bogdanov.
The Minister added that in the next few years the Stara Zagora region will provide many opportunities to companies, especially through the Fair Transition Fund.
‘What we want to say as institutions is that the priority in the coming years will be the development of Star Zagora and the region. We need to create new jobs. People who currently work in both the mining sector and the Maritsa Basin will most likely have to retrain. We want to create new business, new opportunities here. These are companies with a larger number of jobs to enable all these people to secure their jobs and development locally’, Minister Bogdanov said.
He announced that the main priority of the Ministry of Economy and Industry is the construction of a new industrial zone in Stara Zagora on a land that belongs to the State Construction Committee and such a project is currently being developed. The National Company Industrial Zones will be the operator and the structure with which, together with the municipality, such a site will be developed, because the municipality needs to develop new industrial zones, prepared sites.
"We are already thinking about the next step that we will take in this direction, we visited Stara Zagora with key investors with whom we are currently in negotiations — large industries that will literally change the face of not only the region, but also of Bulgaria", said the Minister.
He pointed out that a clear strategy for the development of the industrial zones in Bulgaria is being developed, based on a regional principle. In his words, the development should be linked to specific sectors and be linked to the expectations of investors in these sectors.
Koninklijke Nedschroef Holding B.V., headquartered in Helmond, the Netherlands, was established 125 years ago and stands for innovative connection technology worldwide. Intelligent engineering, high-quality fasteners and individual forming technology solutions from Nedschroef are used in the automotive, transport and aerospace industries as well as in mechanical engineering and energy. As one of the world’s leading fastener manufacturers, Nedschroef employs 2,300 people in 11 countries.