Automotive supplier Grupo Antolin (Burgos / Spain; www.grupoantolin.com) has opened its eighth plant in Mexico, in Huamantla, Tlaxcala. The EUR 35m facility will manufacture headliners, doors, pillars and seat backs for the new Audi "Q5". It is expected the facility could in future accommodate other projects for Volkswagen “Puebla”. Ernesto Antolín, Grupo Antolin chairman, said: “We are all aware of the enormous responsibility involved in this project, so we have made a great effort in terms of materials and labour to create one of our most technologically advanced centres. This will allow us to suitably respond to the needs of one of our most important customers, namely Audi.”

The plant is designed to meet the demand for 170,000 vehicles annually and will be able to produce one overhead system and four doors every two minutes. It will provide employment for around 300 people and have more than 40 suppliers, many of which are Mexican. Grupo Antolin now employs over 4,000 workers in Mexico.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Grupo Antolin is planning to acquire the whole of Wroclaw / Poland-headquartered Silesia Plastic, its 50:50 joint venture with Industrias Alegre (Valencia / Spain; www.ialegre.com). Silesia Plastic operates over 30 injection moulding machines at its facility in Strzelin, Lower Silesia / Poland supplying auto manufacturers including Ford, Rover, Volvo, Renault and Hyundai.