ZF English

ACE seeks Romanian management

10.11.2005, 19:24 19

Spanish group ACE Automotive, a manufacturer of electrical car parts, is looking for a general manager for its operations in Romania, after Adam Ambrus, the individual running the domestic branch, resigned. The group''s officials say they''d rather see the company''s operations taken over by a Romanian manager.

"A Romanian manager would help us overcome the linguistic barrier. Moreover, a Romanian would have a better understanding of Romanian realities and the domestic market as compared with a Spanish manager, who would have a different mentality," stated Antonio Soria Barranco, who is heading the company until a new manager is selected.

He added that it is more difficult for a group to bring a foreign manager because people in this category are not willing to remain apart from their families for a long period of time, preferring instead to stay away for limited periods.

"We have been in talks with several individuals for this position, but for the time being we have not found a person meeting ACE requirements. We are seeking a complex and open person who would be able to integrate into the group. We are not rushing to make a decision since at this moment initiating collaboration with new customers is of greater importance to us," Barranco also said.

At this stage, ACE management have set a target for next year regarding the beginning of production for certain carmakers such as Citroen, Dacia Pitesti and Mercedes. At present, the main customers of the company are Seat, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda.

Barranco says that the Romanian carmaker plans to expand the list of suppliers it works with, and ACE has already forwarded a product offer for the new Logan models, and is also in advanced talks with Mercedes for the delivery of electrical cables.

"Our intention is to develop our product portfolio, since we will have to send some orders to the Dej plant, too, starting next spring. For the time being, our older products will be manufactured at the new production centre, with the new customers to be handled by the Cluj plant," Barranco explained. The group entered the Romanian market in 2002 by acquiring a 24,000 square metre plot of land in Cluj-Napoca, on which it initially built two production centres of 3,600 square metres each. At present, the group holds a production area of 15,000 square metres, in the wake of investments worth 14 million euros. The group announced the construction of a new plant in Dej. transilvania@zf.ro

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