“The flagship of the Hungarian economy is the automotive industry, which last year realised a production value of eight trillion forints (EUR 25.6bn) and now employs some 175 thousand people”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Békéscsaba at the official inauguration of Csaba Metal Plc’s new production halls.
The Minister drew attention to the fact that the sector is continuing to achieve dynamic growth, with figures for this year already showing an increase of 10 percent. Mr. Szijjártó inaugurated high pressure die cast aluminium parts manufacturer Csaba Metal’s new production hall in Békéscsaba, and symbolically also the company’s new plant in Szeghalom.
The Government provided 1.3 billion forints (EUR 4.2 million) in subsidies towards the projects, which were realised with a total investment of 5.7 billion forints (EUR 18.2 million).
Mr. Szijjártó also announced that Csaba Metal is planning another project worth 3.7 billion forints (EUR 11.8 million), towards which it is expected to receive another 1.3 billion forints in government funding. As a result of the investment a 4000 square metre production hall was established in Békéscsaba, and a similar 3500 square metre facility in Szeghalom, in addition to which the company also acquired a large number of new industrial robots and pieces of metal machining equipment. 165 new jobs were created as a result of the project.
According to the Minister, Hungarian-owned companies are now also capable of standing their ground on the global market, an excellent example of which is Csaba Metal, whose parts can be found in the cars produced by Jaguar, Audi and Mercedes, for instance. Mr. Szijjártó also came to an agreement with the company’s owner and CEO Béla Majoros concerning the fact that Csaba Metal will become the 77th major company to conclude a strategic partnership agreement with the Hungarian Government.
Mr. Majoros recalled that the period of intensive development in the life of the company, which was founded 25 years ago, began in 2010, leading to an increase in turnover from 4.7 billion forints (EUR 15 million) to 18 billion forints (EUR 57.5 million), while the number of people employed by the company has increased from 467 to 980.
Member of Parliament for Békéscsaba and the surrounding area Gyula Vantara (Fidesz) called the company’s continued growth exemplary, explaining that Csaba Metal has not only become one of the city’s determining enterprises, but also at regional level.
Mayor of county capital Békéscsaba Péter Szarvas (independent) praised the outstanding cooperation between Csaba Metal and the Government, adding that the city’s local municipality and the Government maintain a similarly good level of cooperation. He stressed that the Government is paying closer than average attention to the development of Békéscsaba in view of the fact that the M44 dual carriageway is already under construction within the framework of the Modern Cities Programme, in addition to which the expansion of Békéscsaba airport is also on the agenda, as is the construction of a container terminal at the city’s railway station.
In 2017, Csaba Metal Plc. realised 15.2 billion forints (EUR 48.5 million) in turnover, with 17.9 billion (EUR 57.2 million) planned for 2018. Last year, the company posted after tax profits of 1.592 billion forints (EUR 5.1 million), with 2.246 billion forints (EUR 7.16 million) planned for this year.
(MTI)
