Five European factories to go as production will focus on single German plant, CEO says at Stralis launch
By Rob McKay | July 2, 2012
Iveco Australia expects to bring its new Stralis heavy truck to Australian customers next year.
The truckmaker aims to give the public
a look at the vehicle at the Brisbane Truck Show on May 16-19, a spokeswoman says.
The development comes as the Stralis was launched in Turin.
However, the celebrations were tempered somewhat as Iveco CEO and Fiat director Alfredo Altavilla confirmed five of Iveco’s European plants are due to close by the year’s end.
According to media reports,
Altavilla says Iveco will focus production at a single German plant after the closure of those at Graz in Austria, Chambery in France and Goerlitz, Weiswiel and Ulm in Germany.
The Ulm plant is to be replaced by a centralised production centre, he was quoted as saying.
Aspects of this move were foreshadowed in May, when unions reported that the Chambery fire-engine making plant would see its production shift to Ulm.
This move
follows the closure of two other factories, in Barcelona and the Italian town of Avelino last year.
