German-Japanese company Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze officially started its operations in Moldova at the end of 2015 and this autumn it may open a factory of wire harnesses for the German automotive industry. The group’s investments in Moldova are managed by former politician Igor Corman. He said during an interview for Radio Free Europe, quoted by IPN, that the company will create jobs for 2500 people.
“Investors are willing to bring money when they see a profit, when they can make long term plans and if they are happy and the other parties involved in such projects are happy, then it’s a win-win situation, a success. The project I joined a year and a half ago is a big investment by Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze. It’s really big and I can say that it got the good kind of attention from local and central authorities”, said Corman.
The company’s representative says that the decision to extend this project in Orhei took into consideration the available infrastructure and the distance to Chisinau, the existing access ways and available workforce, which is very important. He also says that there are no comparable investments in the region so the German-Japanese group decided to make an investment for the next 20 years.
As regards the labor force, Corman says the team was assembled last year. Employees undergo several weeks of training and so far results have been good. At the moment, the company has only 470 workers. “The factory, which will be opened soon and where are already gathering the equipment, has a surface of 27,000 square meters. It means it will have a large production capacity and the potential to create 2500 jobs. We are also working on transportation because we’ll bring in workers not only from Orhei, but from nearby villages as well, as far as 20-30 km if necessary. We are optimistic that we’ll succeed, even though it’s not an easy task. Our villages, unfortunately, are being deserted. We hope to keep those who haven’t left yet, by offering not only promises, but the conditions to stay”, explained Corman.
He added that the investor won’t stop here and is already looking to find a location for a second factory. According to Corman, for such a project to succeed, about 5000 people should be involved. He thinks this kind of business is an opportunity for Moldova, similar to the ‘textiles wave’ of the ‘90s, because it’s a flourishing industry in Europe and around the world. Moreover, everything related to the automotive industry has the advantage of long-term stability.
Corman also noted that his company already has some competition in Moldova, such as Draexlmaier, who has been in Moldova for several years already, in the Balti Free Economic Zone, Fugikura, who recently came to Chisinau, as well as Introscop, who is a subcontractor both for Leoni and Sumitomo Electric Bordnetze.
