The automotive division of Röchling (Mannheim / Germany; www.roechling.com) has brought a second plant onstream in Spain. Its older facility in Araia is no longer sufficient to handle all the orders from the Iberian Peninsula. The new plant in Teruel in eastern Spain produces wheel arch liners, deflectors and design covers for Ford in Valencia. At the end of 2017, cowl grilles will be in production, and in 2018, active air shutter systems and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) tanks are planned to be added. Renzo Magnabosco, commercial director of Röchling Automotive Europe South, is also hoping for local orders from GM in Zaragoza and Seat in Martorell.

The new plant was constructed on a 40,000 m² site for EUR 16m and includes a 3,200 m² production shop, supplemented by a 4,600 m² logistics warehouse as well as outbuildings and offices. At present, 30 staff are employed. Production is run on four 2-component injection moulding machines, with four machines soon to be added.

Röchling is already planning a further expansion of the site and has expressed interest in a plot of land that offers an additional 40,000 m² of space. Five more machines are to be installed between 2018 and 2019. Röchling's Automotive division is intending to reach full production capacity there by 2019. Just under 100 employees will then be working at the plant.