— By Plasteurope.com staff —

Germany’s Marquardt (Rietheim-Weilheim; www.marquardt.com) has announced the opening of a new plant in El Fejja near the Tunisian capital of Tunis. According to the mechatronics specialist, production of user interfaces for the interior of premium vehicles has begun at the site. Marquardt has invested over EUR 50 mn in buildings, machinery, and equipment. The company plans to create 1,500 additional jobs for engineers, technicians, and production staff in El Fejja by the end of the decade. 

Marquardt has been represented in Tunisia since 1991. The company opened its first production facility in the country in 2014 in the midst of the Arab Spring. The plant in Al Agba near Tunis initially manufactured power tool switches and standard switches, for household appliances, for instance. Today, the focus is on mechatronic parts for building and air-conditioning technology, cleaning equipment, off-road and premium vehicles, and industrial applications. 

However, investments have also been made in Germany. Just a fortnight ago, Marquardt opened another plant for battery management systems at Erfurter Kreuz. The investment here totalled a three-digit million euro sum.