Johnson Controls Strengthens its Presence in Eastern Europe
27/11/2007 19:10
PR Newswire
BRATISLAVA, November 27 /PRNewswire/ --
- Opening of a New Automotive Business Center in Slovakia
Johnson Controls, one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive
interiors, electronics and batteries, has opened a new Automotive Business
Center in Bratislava. Some 180 employees are currently working in the areas
of finance, purchasing, information technology and human resources. Another
170 new jobs will be created there by the end of 2008 in order to support the
future growth of the company in the Eastern European growth markets.
"Bratislava's central position and good infrastructure with available
workforce capabilities were the decisive factors in choosing this location.
As important, the growth markets in Eastern and Central Europe can be equally
well accessed from here," explained Richard Johnson, Vice President
Information Technology and General Manager of the Johnson Controls Automotive
Business Center. In addition, the company has had a positive experience in
the last three years with its engineering center in Trencin, Slovakia, which
focuses on the implementation and execution of engineering projects. The new
Business Center will allow the company to strengthen its local presence in
Slovakia and put it in an even better position to support its customers in
the strong growth markets.
"Furthermore, it will provide leadership and service delivery
capabilities of core business processes in finance, purchasing and
information technology supporting our entire European automotive business"
said Richard Johnson. The planning and definition for central strategies will
remain driven from the Automotive Experience European headquarters in
Burscheid, Germany.
Further Expansion is Planned
The new Automotive Business Center, covering three floors and measuring
more than 4,800 square meters, has sufficient space for the 180 employees who
found new jobs here as purchasing professionals, IT specialists, financial
experts and in human resources functions. Employee numbers are expected to
rise to a total of 350 by the end of next year. The company is also
centralizing certain accounting functions here. The Automotive Business
Center in Bratislava is the only facility in Europe complementing Johnson
Controls' European headquarters in Burscheid in these functions.
Expansion in the Eastern European Growth Markets
Right from the beginning of the nineties, Johnson Controls has been
continuously expanding its presence in the new growth markets and currently
has 25 locations in Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic,
Bulgaria, Macedonia, Russia and Turkey. The new Automotive Business Center is
part of this long-term strategy. It will allow the company to further improve
how it meets the needs of automakers in Eastern Europe.
"Our new Automotive Business Center will strengthen our competitiveness
and signifies a new chapter in the cooperation with our customers and
suppliers in Eastern Europe," said Richard Johnson. Johnson Controls has been
in Slovakia since 1993 and currently employs a total of 3,300 employees at
seven locations. Besides the new Automotive Business Center in Bratislava,
the company presence in Slovakia includes an engineering center in Trencín
and production plants in Lozorno, Lucenec, Martin, Nàmestovo and Zilina.
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) is the global leader that brings ingenuity
to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating
technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that
redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of
140,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world
through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12
million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to
sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate
citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services
we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit
http://www.johnsoncontrols.com.
Further information is available from:
Johnson Controls GmbH,
Automotive Experience,
European Headquarters,
Industriestrasse 20-30,
51399 Burscheid,
Germany
Astrid Schafmeister,
Tel: +49-2174-65-3189,
Fax: +49-2174-65-3219,
E-mail: astrid.schafmeister@jci.com,
Ina Longwitz
Tel: +49-2174-65-4343
E-mail: ina.longwitz@jci.com
Johnson Controls GmbH, Automotive Experience, European Headquarters, Industriestrasse 20-30, 51399 Burscheid, Germany; Astrid Schafmeister, Tel: +49-2174-65-3189, Fax: +49-2174-65-3219, E-mail: astrid.schafmeister@jci.com; Ina Longwitz, Tel: +49-2174-65-4343, E-mail: ina.longwitz@jci.com