Constantin Stroe, chairman of the Association of AutomotiveManufacturers of Romania (ACAROM), stated there were 12 car partsproducers planning to build production facilities in Romania, butfor the time being their plans were on hold as they were waitingfor macroeconomic environment stabilisation.
"There are new investments, but they're all in stand-by. 12European firms intend to relocate to Romania, they have foundsolutions, but they are delaying their projects. They are stillsaying the eastern part of Romania is not encouraging from thepoint of view of companies planning to relocate," stated Stroe. Hechose not to specify the name of the companies planning to investin Romania.
Foreign investments in the car industry have largely beenoperated in the past ten years, mainly in the western part of thecountry, where industrial parks are mainly filled by car partproducers.
A new automotive pole has been shaping up in the past threeyears in the southern region, Oltenia, where Pirelli (250m-euroinvestments in the past three years to which a further 250m euroswill be added by 2012) or Ford (pledged investments of above 1bneuros) have been attracted and where other suppliers, such asJohnson Controls, will bring production facilities.
Investments in the eastern area are low, though, and were mainlyattracted by Iasi, where the biggest players are Delphi andContinental.
At the same time, ACAROM head warns about the volatility ofpossible investments. "There are two entities giving up investmentshere as they found better conditions 100 km west. Romania is stillan opportunity, owing to the low labour costs and personneladaptation possibilities," states Stroe. He also mentioned theimportance of transport costs in the cost of car partproduction.
In the following period, car part producers are likely to facetrouble as orders will go down amid falling car sales acrossEurope.
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