Published 3/29/2019 2:50 PM: 06CET
CALATAYUD (ZARAGOZA), 29 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The factory of Sigit Automotive of Calatayud – auxiliary company of the automobile, dedicated to the injection of plastics for different vehicles – has invested 12 million euros in expanding its facilities to give way to new contracts. In this context, the company plans to double its workforce in one year.
The president of Aragón, Javier Lambán, was this Friday at the official presentation of the investment made in the plant, which was attended by the group’s CEO, Emanuele Buscaglione, as well as many other members of the Italian team belonging to the department of quality, engineering and others.
The factory has made an investment of 12 million euros, both in its new facilities in the Cuadras de Esteras polygon, where three warehouses have been built, and in machinery. Thanks to a Seat contract for the model of the new León, it has been necessary to expand the facilities that were small in the polygon of La Charluca. Three new warehouses for the production, storage of raw materials and finished products, occupy a built area of 10,000 square meters on land that triples this surface.
The company manufactures plastic injection parts for Volkswagen and its Audi and Seat brands, being the destination of its products the plants of Pamplona and Martorell (Barcelona).
In the factory there are now 69 workers and the objective is that next year the personnel will double, which, depending on the production, will be completed up to 140-160 workers. Distributed in three shifts, the current template has permanent workers almost 90 percent and 10 percent are young people under 30 who have joined the practice, then contract.
ALMOST 25,000 WORKERS
The president of Aragón, Javier Lambán, has shown his satisfaction for having more auxiliary companies in the automotive sector, which employs almost 25,000 workers, and whose prospects are growth by launching new models of vehicles both in Aragon and in the bordering regions. He has welcomed the fact that many of these projects are installed outside the scope of Zaragoza, to better distribute wealth and avoid depopulation.
In this context, the Department of Education has expanded the offer of Industrial Vocational Training with new degrees, in order to train qualified professionals with an absolute degree of immediate employability.
Lambán has recalled the support of the Executive in several directions, starting with the creation of the Automotive Table, or the project, together with the Ibercaja Foundation, of Mobility City, where the National Automotive Board has its headquarters, which will meet for the first time 5th of April.
In addition, the Aragonese Parliament ratifies this Friday two decrees of the Government worth almost 16 million euros to promote the implementation of research and development, and innovation, energy and environmental efficiency projects in Opel, as well as aid to business initiatives relating to the development of the electric vehicle. This amount also includes future call for grants until 2021.
“We are making a very important effort so that a sector, which has been a tractor of the Aragonese economy in the last 40 years, after all the changes that will be operated in the coming decades will continue to be the tractor of the Aragonese economy”, has remarked.
GRUPO ITALIANO SIGIT
The old Indeplas Sistema, dedicated to manufacture trays for SEAT by thermoforming and injection, belongs since 2016 to the Italian group Sigit (also participated by capital of Oman), specialized in injection.
Although they still maintain the old plant in the Polygon of La Charluca, progressively will focus on this new activity and the new location of Cuadras de Esteras Polygon to face the new SEAT project.
The current turnover is 8 million and the forecast is to reach 18 million in 2020. The Sigit group has a turnover of 160 million euros, has 1,600 jobs and 17 production plants in ten countries.
The Mayor of Calatayud, José Manuel Aranda, was also present at the public presentation ceremony; the president of the Diputación de Zaragoza, Juan Antonio Sánchez Quero, members of the municipal corporation and the general director of Economy, Luis Lanaspa.
30% OF INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT
The automotive sector represents 30 percent of Aragón’s industrial employment, including auxiliary companies, and employs almost 25,000 workers. The launching of new vehicle models both in Aragon and in the bordering regions increases expectations and the industry needs qualified professionals.
For this, the Department of Education has substantially expanded the offer of industrial FP with new degrees (average degree of machining in La Puebla de Alfindén, average degree of conformation by molding metals and polymers in the IES Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza, higher grade of Automation and Industrial Robotics in Zuera and Sabiñánigo or the expansion of groups in the higher degree of Mechatronics in the CPIFP Corona de Aragón in Zaragoza). However, despite having 100% insertion, some of these titles remain vacant and the sector demands more trained personnel.
In terms of employment, the automotive industry has a share of around 16 or 17 percent in total industrial employment. The number of affiliates to Social Security is around 16,000 people in recent years, reaching 25,000 with indirect jobs.
The automotive sector would represent around 4.4 percent of GVA – gross aggregate value – total of the Autonomous Community, approximately 1,448,000,000 euros, but in foreign trade, the presence of the automotive industry is much more relevant. The exports of the automobile sector usually represent around a third of the total exports of Aragonese goods.
MOBILITY CITY
The Government of Aragon has worked during this legislature together with the sector through different actions, such as the creation of Automotive Table and also, together with Ibercaja, the Mobility City project, based in the Bridge Pavilion whose objective is to turn Zaragoza into a reference of the mobility of the 21st century.
In addition, different aid lines stand out in order to carry out business projects in Aragón with experimental development and industrial research related to the electric vehicle.
The Courts of Aragon have ratified this Friday, in the last plenary session of the legislature, two decrees laws of the government to grant an extraordinary credit with Opel Spain, amounting to 4 million euros for the realization of research and development projects, and innovation, and energy and environmental efficiency projects.
The other Decree Law provides for an extraordinary loan to the budgets of the Autonomous Community of Aragon for 2019 (extension of the budget for 2018) for an amount of 2.7 million euros to finance a call for grants to carry out business projects in Aragon relating to the development of the electric vehicle.
There will also be an upcoming call for multi-year grants (2019-20-21) of another 10 million euros to finance a call for grants to carry out business projects in Aragón related to the development of the electric vehicle.