A strategic agreement was entered into between the Hungarian Government and Schwarzmüller Járműgyártó Kereskedelmi Kft. on Monday; the document was signed by Péter Szijjártó, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Nándor Bundschuh Nándor, the company's General Manager.
Mr. Szijjártó emphasised that the global growth of the automotive industry provides a safe basis for the long-term growth of the Hungarian economy. He added that the Hungarian automotive industry has played an important role in the output of the national economy. In the automotive industry in Hungary, 712 businesses currently employ 126,900 workers, 14,900 more than in the same period last year. Last year, the production value generated by the Hungarian automotive industry was €18.3 billion, whereas until May this year, it amounted to €9.1 billion, i.e. half of last year's performance was achieved a month earlier, an indication that automotive production will continue to grow in Hungary, the State Secretary added.
Austrian ambassador Wolfgang Waldner pointed out that the Hungarian Government had now entered into a strategic agreement with the third Austrian company. In his opinion, it indicates that Austrian businesses continue to reckon with the potential in the Hungarian market.
Mr. Bundschuh said that Hungary was performing well among Schwarzmüller companies as they had managed to increase sales by 50 percent during the first six months of the year over last year's equivalent period.
The Dunaharaszti plant of Schwarzmüller Járműgyártó és Kereskedelmi Kft, in its 21st year this year, currently operates with a staff of 540. It achieved a sales revenue of HUF24 billion last year whereas this year, sales amounted to HUF18 billion during the first six months.
The State Secretary said that the Hungarian automotive industry is also expected to contribute to the country's export targets. Of all EU countries, the industry has the third highest share of the GDP in Hungary at the moment whereas the country is at the second place in terms of both the share of exports in the GDP within the EU and per capita foreign operating capital in Central Europe. Within the foreseeable future, Hungary should become the first in all these respects. In order to achieve that, it should attract research, development and innovation activities to modernise and increase the efficiency of manufacturing in Hungary, Péter Szijjártó pointed out.
The State Secretary emphasised that the Schwarzmüller company, with which the Government had entered into its 47th strategic agreement, is the fourth largest truck and trailer manufacturer in Europe. The Hungarian operation of the company has made a significant contribution to the output of the national economy. The Dunaharaszti plant, one of its three European production sites, has achieved the best result of the post-crisis period within the Group with Hungarian SMEs accounting for 40 percent of its suppliers.
He added that in 2012, Schwarzmüller started significant research and development operations, resulting in the fully automated serial production of aluminium containers. It involves unparalleled manufacturing, maintenance and service capacities in Central and Eastern Europe, the State Secretary said, also speaking highly of the role the company has played in vocational training in Hungary.
Drawing on EU financing, the Hungarian Government intends to invest more than HUF700 billion into research and development during the 2014-2020 period, with an additional HUF50 billion to be spent on setting up 7 thousand new training workshops, the State Secretary pointed out.
Austrian ambassador Wolfgang Waldner emphasised the importance of the economic ties between the two countries, pointing out that Austrian businesses are the fourth largest capital investors in Hungary, providing employment for 70,000 workers and a living to 200,000 Hungarian families. Like Schwarzmüller, 90 percent of the Austrian companies investing in Hungary are family businesses, the ambassador stressed.
Outlining the history of Schwarzmüller, company general manager Nándor Bundschuh pointed out that while their Group is currently the fourth largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Europe, it excels in terms of the versatility of its products and its custom solutions. The multinational group produces 7,000 vehicles a year. Employing 1,900 workers, its sales amounted to €235 million in the last year.
In Hungary, Schwarzmüller has completed 5 major investment projects to date, at a total value of HUF10 billion. Under the Új Széchenyi Plan, it purchased a welding robot in order to establish an aluminium container manufacturing capacity, enabling the production of that product in increasing quantities in Hungary, the General Manager said.
According to information by the company, Schwarzmüller, established in 1870, currently operates in twenty countries of Central and South-East Europe. In addition to its Austrian, Czech and Hungarian production plants, it also operates 200 service units. Its first Hungarian site was established in 1993. Since then, app. 35,000 vehicles have been manufactured in this country, 70 percent of which have been exported.
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
