The plant in western Ivano-Frankivsk oblast has a complete production cycle.
Stockholm-headquartered Electrolux, a global leader in household and professional appliances, has jumpstarted production of washing machines at a Ukraine-based factory that it acquired last year for 19 million Euros.
“The plan for this year is to produce 220,000 washing machines,” said Alessio Bonfanti, director of Electrolux Ukraine, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Bonfanti, manager of the facility located in Ivano-Frankivsk, western Ukraine, said the 44,000 square meter plant, which employs 260 people, commenced full-scale production in April.
We are not only assembling washing machines. We have a complete production cycle. We start with raw materials, plastic and metal components, not with pre-made components.– Alessio Bonfanti, director of Electrolux Ukraine
It is currently producing about 850 washing machines per day. To boost production, the plant started introducing two separate shifts per day in mid June, he added.
“We are not only assembling washing machines. We have a complete production cycle. We start with raw materials, plastic and metal components, not with pre-made components,” Bonfanti said.
Electrolux completed the acquisition of the long-idle factory from Italy’s Merloni, a competitor, in 2010. Merloni purchased it in 2003 from domestically-owned appliance manufacturer Nord in 2003 but faced numerous hurdles to making the investment work.
About 93 percent of the washing machines produced are being exported to Russia, while 7 percent are sold on the domestic market, Bonfanti said adding that exports have also commenced to Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
About 66 percent of the washing machines are sold under the Zanussi brand, 34 percent as Electrolux machines.
