In response to rising demand from eastern Europe and the “current order situation in Germany”, cable protection systems producer Schlemmer Group (Poing / Germany; www.schlemmer.com) has decided to expand its plant in Satu Mare / Romania. Investment costs of this second expansion at the site were not disclosed. The new 4,000 m² production hall could start operations as early as March 2015, the company said. The current plan is to finish all outside facilities until the onset of winter and install the relevant production technology during the winter months.

The site, which first began operations in 2004, currently produces about 70m metres a year of corrugated tubing for the automotive and industrial applications segments. Once the expansion comes on stream, it will also manufacture injection moulded products, Schlemmer said, adding that the expansion will also raise the company’s corrugated tubes capacity. Group CFO Christian von der Linde said that, “By expanding our plant, we are aiming to double turnover in Satu Mare.”

To cater to rising demand and overcome bottlenecks, the German group has been producing from its mobile factory for the past few months. Located on a lorry, the extrusion plant can be moved anyplace and is capable of producing 22 metres of corrugated tube a minute, ranging up to 62,000 metres a day.

The expansion in Satu Mare will see Schlemmer raise its workforce at the site from 120 to 210 in 2015. In addition, site manager Alin Stavariu said the company has additional room for expansion, adding that it has so far only used half of the 2 ha of land purchased, and thus faces no obstacle to “a third expansion in future.”

Schlemmer operates 22 manufacturing sites across 12 countries and posted revenues of more than EUR 240m in 2013. The group specialises in the production of cable protection systems for automotive and industrial applications, specifically corrugated and smooth tubes, manifolds and connector interfaces as well as customised cable ducts and cable conduits.