German pipe systems manufacturer Fränkische (Königsberg; www.fraenkische.de) has completed an expansion of production space at Okrisky in the Czech Republic. A new building erected adjacent to an existing facility increases the dimensions of the complex opened in 2007 to 19,000m². The workforce is expected to increase from 500 to 800.

The labour-intensive production of increasingly complex pipe system components makes expansion of the Czech site essential for the German company’s industrial business, manager director Otto Kirchner said at a dedication ceremony earlier this year.

At Orisky, Fränkische manufactures pipes and hoses for automotive and industrial customers. The Czech subsidiary was established in 2003 at Jihlava, with production growth necessitating a move to the current location four years later.