Aircraft interiors supplier, FACC, has broken ground on an expansion of its facility in Croatia, which will include a tripling in size of its manufacturing area for high-tech cabin interior components, and an additional office building.
The timing of the expansion could seem unusual, given that the manufacturing area, at Plant 6 in Jakovlje, only opened in 2022. FACC CEO, Robert Machtlinger, explained the rapid progression: “Based on many factors, we decided to set up the largest non-Austrian production site here [in Croatia], a decision that was right. At the 2022 opening, we already announced a plan to further expand the facility soon. I am very happy that we are now in the execution phase of this significant FACC milestone.”
The construction work is due to be completed in June 2024, and the workforce will almost triple to 600 employees by the end of 2026. FACC AG is investing € 21 million in the expansion of the site in Croatia.
The expanded facility will be fitted with state-of-the-art machinery for the production of lightweight components for passenger aircraft and business jets, with a high degree of automated manufacturing. The new equipment will include a fully automated paint shop as well as high-precision manufacturing equipment, which will enable faster ramp-up processes and higher quantities in the future.
In the new office building, specialists from the company’s IT, engineering and purchasing departments will support on-site production as well as FACC’s central functions. In total, the site will be expanded by around 12,500m2.
A new photovoltaic power system covering an area of 2,000m2 will also be installed, to provide around two-thirds of the annual energy consumption currently required, with plans in place to rely more on this power source.
