B-Max effect: Over 20 suppliers settle in Oltenia, investments exceed 200m euros

Of the more than 20 suppliers that followed the Americans at Ford to Oltenia (Southern Romania), nearly half will settle directly on the industrial platform of Ford Craiova, while others have already started to bring back into the forefront former industrial areas such as Balș (the facility of American-held IAC) or Caracal (the plant of the Japanese-held Yazaki).

The latest investment has been announced by Yazaki Romania in Caracal, Olt county, where the Japanese will invest more than 10 million euros, according to market sources, in a new facility set up within clothing plant Romanița, where the Japanese have rented 6,000 square metres.

So, less than a year before manufacturing of the future Ford B-Max will start, the number of component suppliers has increased to over 20, which are set to invest over 200 million euros until next year in building manufacturing facilities, according to ZF calculations.

The biggest investment in Olt county of a Ford supplier is that of plastics manufacturer IAC Romania in Balș, amounting to 58 million euros, of which 17 million euros in state aid.