Engel establishes manufacturing site in Serbia

Engel is expanding its global production network by establishing a manufacturing site in Kikinda, Serbia. The injection moulding machine manufacturer said the investment is intended to strengthen its competitiveness and support a high-performing European value chain over the long term. According to the company, customers in European and American markets are expected to benefit from shorter lead times and improved supply reliability. The project forms part of a targeted development of Engel's European manufacturing architecture, focused on relocating mechanical manufacturing operations to make better use of international location advantages and build a more resilient supply chain in Europe.

During the first phase, a 13,000 m² facility in Kikinda will manufacture machined components. Engel plans to recruit around 150 employees over the first three years of operation. The additional production capacity is intended to enable the company's Austrian plants to concentrate more closely on demanding, customer-specific system solutions.

"The new Kikinda site complements our existing plants across Europe," said Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group. "It improves our cost efficiency and gives us greater flexibility compared to sourcing directly from Asia. Our Austrian plants will have more room to focus on what we do best: highly complex, tailored system solutions that are in demand worldwide."

Integration into the European production network

Engel selected Kikinda because of its qualified workforce and industrial infrastructure developed over several decades. The company expects these conditions to support the site's integration into its existing European production network.

Peter Jungwirth will become Managing Director of Engel Serbia in addition to his current role as Commercial Director of the company's site in Kaplice, Czech Republic. Experienced Engel employees from Austria will train the local team. This process is intended to transfer production expertise while maintaining the company's global quality standards.

For customers operating in Europe and the Americas, Engel expects the expanded production network to provide a more resilient supply base with less exposure to long transport times and disruptions in international supply chains.