After low third-quarter sales and profits due to the diesel crisis and issues from the new emissions test "WLTP", Polytec’s (Hörsching / Austria; www.polytec-group.com) future now looks set for growth. The automotive supplier received a major order from a German premium car manufacturer and is, for this purpose, investing EUR 10m in the construction of a new plant in the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) on the southeastern coast of South Africa. Mercedes-Benz maintains “C-Class” production facilities at this location. This will be Polytec’s first plant in Africa.

The Austrian company will employ plastics production technologies from the composites and injection moulding areas for the production of underbody panelling and other automotive parts. The agreed upon delivery period is eight years, and start-up is scheduled for 2021 – the same year Mercedes’ new C-Class generation is to be introduced.