Injection moulding machinery manufacturer Engel (Schwertberg / Austria; www.engel.at), inaugurated its new Czech subsidiary at Prague in September, after two years of planning and construction. New premises were required following the steady growth of the company´s business in central and eastern Europe. The Czech subsidiary, which has a staff of 33, including 17 service engineers, and an extensive parts stock, is one of the biggest in the Engel group. With its modern training centre and wide-ranging technical resources the Prague facility is available to support clients across central and eastern Europe.

Engel is in the process of strengthening its sales and service network in the region. Along with the subsidiary in the Czech Republic (established in 1990) the company also has subsidiaries in Hungary (1993) and Poland (2002), as well as in Ukraine (2006). Since 2002, Engel Finland has taken care of clients in neighbouring Estonia. Customers in Latvia and Lithuania are supported by Engel Poland. New premises, planned for completion by the end of 2006, are currently being built for the Polish subsidiary and should be in full operation in the first quarter of 2007. Another key element in the company´s regional network is the establishment this year of the Engel centre in Moscow, which coordinates Russian sales.