KION's new Polish plant

KION has opened a cutting-edge industrial truck plant in the Polish town of Kobaskowo, near Szczecin. The site will produce counterbalance trucks for all brands within the KION Industrial Trucks & Services segment. This includes model series previously produced at sites in western Europe, with the aim of enhancing the degree of automation and digitalisation at those sites. In order to speed up delivery times, model series that are currently only produced in Xiamen, China will also be manufactured in Kobaskowo, starting next year. The new plant in Poland adds to the KION Group's existing European-wide production sites and will focus on products for customers in the EMEA region with less demanding applications. "The new site in the heart of Europe will allow us to make further inroads into this fast-moving, high-potential market segment," says Gordon Riske, KION chief executive officer. "The location near the German-Polish border has the additional benefit of easy access to an excellent network of suppliers." KION has invested around EUR80 million (USD95 million) in the new plant which will create up to 400 jobs by the end of 2023. "The new employees will benefit from an attractive, state-of-the-art working environment, and the site also comes with engineering capabilities that will pave the way for further growth perspectives," says works manager Tomasz Maleszka. The site incorporates a cutting-edge production facility designed along sustainable principles and an administrative centre, which together provide nearly 44,000 sqm of space - equivalent to around six soccer pitches. KION has also made provision for future growth, with the new site incorporating an expansion option for another (production) building of around 20,000 sqm.