Madrid, Spain – Celebrations have been held at the Nissan plants in Ávila and Cantabria in Spain to mark the construction of major new facilities.
A traditional Japanese Daruma ceremony was held with local dignitaries and employees to officially open the new stamping plant at the Ávila plant, in Castilla y León. The new facility marks a major milestone in the transformation of the factory into a new parts centre, a €55m investment from 2018-2022.
A second ceremony took place at the Nissan Cantabria Plant, in los Corrales del Bulena, to inaugurate the plant's new moulding line. The new facility is central to the plants Ultra-Competitiveness Plan, which includes investments of €40m from 2020-2023.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in the Africa, Middle-East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) region, led both ceremonies alongside the Regional Presidents of Castilla y León and Cantabria and the Mayors of Ávila and Cantabria.
Fitzpatrick said: "I am delighted to join colleagues and partners in Spain to celebrate the new stamping plant in Ávila and moulding line in Cantabria. Our Spanish operations play a key role in the success of our operations and models in Europe and beyond, and I look forward to seeing even further progress in both plants."
The new stamping plant in Avila covers 23,000m2, and will house the new stamping line and a plastic injection machine for bumper production, with space to allow for future growth in production capacity. The plant now manufactures spare parts for more than 11 Alliance models. Additionally, a new 21,000m2 storage warehouse nearby will further help the Ávila plant to improve competitiveness by reducing logistics costs.
The new moulding line in Cantabria Plant increases production capacity by more than 10%, at the same time as reducing manufacturing costs and reducing energy use. Cantabria, a casting and machining centre, manufactures brake discs and steering knuckles for Nissan and Renault models, alongside parts for other sectors such as agriculture and industrial machinery.
The new facilities further strengthen Nissan's presence in Spain, which also include the Nissan Europe Technical Centre, Purchasing division, Logistics Centre, Parts Warehouse and Sales and Marketing operations in Barcelona, which together with the plants in Ávila and Cantabria directly employ more than 1,700 people.
# # #
For more information about Nissan's products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Paul James, Director, Corporate Communications, Nissan AMIEO
E: paul.james2@nissan-nmuk.co.uk
T: +44 7814 851943
Francesc Corberó, Nissan Spain Communications Director
E: fcorbero@nissan.es
M: +34 661814713
