Construction of new plant for Finnish PKC Group begins

SMEDEREVO - The construction of a new, 19,200-square-metre production plant for the Finnish PKC Group, which makes cable harnesses for commercial vehicles, began on Friday in Smederevo, a city in north-eastern Serbia situated on the banks of the Danube River.

The cornerstone was laid by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Smederevo Mayor Jasna Avramovic and PKC Group President and CEO Matti Hyytiainen, with the ceremony also attended by Finnish Ambassador to Serbia Pekka Orpana.

The Serbian prime minister thanked "the Finnish partners and friends for honouring all of the agreed obligations and working hard."

Initially, the PKC Group had a workforce of 100 people, which is now 250 strong, but the figure will be doubled once the new plant is completed on December 31, he said.

The government will meet all obligations towards investors in a timely manner to demonstrate that it is a serious and dependable partner, and that Serbia is a country that is worth investing in, the prime minister reiterated.

Ambassador Orpana said that the PKC Group has made a good choice in deciding to invest in Serbia.

Serbia's EU accession talks are among the key factors that inspire investors with confidence that the country is a safe and stable place for investments, Orpana said.

Hyytiainen said that the decision to invest in Serbia was made 10 months ago and that the objective is to hire more than 1,500 people once the plant is complete.

We are looking forward to continued support from the Serbian government and Smederevo, which will help implement this project in full, Hyytiainen said.

Based on a 10-year lease agreement, the construction of the new plant for the PKC Group is...