German plastics machinery maker Arburg (Loßburg; www.arburg.com) on 14 July held the official ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of its facility in Brno / Czech Republic. Investment costs of the enlargement – the company plans to add 565 m² that it expects to be ready for occupation in early 2015 – were not disclosed. Jaroslav Novak, managing director of Arburg’s Czech subsidiary, said the expansion was a response to rising demand for automation and turnkey systems, which have seen annual growth rates of between 10-15%.

The added space will bring Arburg’s Technology Centre at the site to a total of 1,600 m^². Novak said “the extended capacities will give us enough space to build, test and optimise three automated production cells,” adding that “delivery times will be reduced in future, too.”

Arburg’s Brno facility caters to both the Czech and the Slovakian markets.