Slovenian aluminium products maker Impol signed a €40 million deal with German car manufacturer BMW to become its direct supplier of aluminium rods for the bodyworks of new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles for an initial period of five years.
To meet the demand, Impol will build a new 3,000 square metres production facility in Slovenksa Bistrica in eastern Slovenia. The construction work is set to begin in the second half of the year and the launch of production is scheduled for the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021.
The company plans to invest around €6.5 million on the construction, including €4 on new equipment. Earlier this month Impol launched a new production line in Croatia to produce aluminium sheets for the automotive and aerospace industries.
The company – Slovenia’s largest maker of flat rolled and extruded aluminium products – plans to become one of the largest aluminium processors in Europe by 2025. Impol’s most important market is Germany accounting for a third of company’s sales outside of Slovenia.