The ZKW Group is expanding its manufacturing capacity at its international locations. The plant in Silao, Mexico, which went into operation in 2015, will be expanded by 19,000 square meters of production space by the end of 2020. It is planned to double the staffing level by 2023. High-quality headlamps for premium automobile manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler, and Volvo are manufactured in Silao. ZKW is investing a total of around 67.5 million euros at the site in Mexico.

The largest expansion project in ZKW’s history has already gone into operation in Krušovce, Slovakia. The production space here has been doubled to around 78,000 square meters. With around 2,500 employees, the plant is ZKW’s second largest production site. In Krušovce, main headlamps and fog lamps are manufactured and new lighting systems developed. “Despite the tense economic situation in the automotive industry, we are continuing to expand our locations in order to remain competitive in the long term,” explains Oliver Schubert, CEO of the ZKW Group, with regards to the strategy.

Premium Headlamps for the NAFTA Region
Construction will begin in November 2019 and the current area of the ZKW plant in Silao, Mexico, will be expanded from 22,000 to 41,000 square meters. The extension will be equipped with state-of-the-art technologies for the manufacture of innovative automotive lighting systems – such as plastic injection molding systems, hard coating for the coating of plastic diffusing lenses, painting systems, metalization equipment for reflectors, and headlight assembly lines. Completion is scheduled for October 2020 and the start of production is scheduled for August 2021. The number of employees is to rise from 700 at present to around 1,400. “The site in Silao plays a strategically important role in the ZKW production network because it offers attractive framework conditions for the automotive supplier industry,” says Schubert.

Extensive Expansion of ZKW Slovakia s.r.o.
In Krušovce, ZKW expanded the plant built in 2007 by an additional 37,500 square meters. The expansion, for which ZKW invested around 155 million euros, doubled the production area and created a new office wing with a training center. In addition to the manufacturing of plastic parts with 45 injection molding machines, in the future plastic lenses and modules will also be manufactured in Krušovce. During the planning phase, ZKW attached great importance to a cost-effective, energy- and environmentally friendly construction method. The production halls are heated with waste heat from the injection molding machines. “The expansion of the Slovakian plant will enable us to increase our competitiveness and contribute an even higher share to the ZKW Group’s added value in the future,” Schubert affirms.

Opening and ZKW Family Day in Krušovce
On September 14, 2019, more than 4,500 employees, family members, and friends celebrated ZKW Family Day 2019 and the official opening of the expanded plant. Under the motto “We make history”, visitors embarked on a journey back in time to the Middle Ages. The entertaining supporting program included historical craftsmanship, culinary delights, and several musical performances. In a ceremony, the management of ZKW Slovakia s.r.o. and representatives of the ZKW Group opened the expanded production facility.