German company TMD Friction, one of the world"s leading producers of brake friction material for the automotive industry, sets up a plant in Romania, the investment amounting to approximately 10 million EUR. Production of disc brake pads for passenger cars is planned to start in the first quarter of 2008, according to a company press release quoted by NewsIn.
TMD has founded the company TMD Friction Romania S.R.L. in Caransebes and purchased 67,500 sq.m of land. Construction work is to begin immediately on the 14.400 sq.m production building. The company plans to manufacture four million disc brake pads for the aftermarket in Romania in 2008 and 19 million brake friction parts in 2009.
Derek Whitworth, CEO of TMD Friction: "With the foundation of TMD Friction Romania, we are taking an important step towards expanding our production base to include Eastern Europe and consolidating our position in the Eastern European market." Mr Whitworth also commented that this move would secure the competitive position of TMD Friction.
TMD Friction Group is one of the world"s leading manufacturers of brake friction materials in the original equipment market of the automotive and brake industry. With locations in Germany and five other European countries, the USA, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and Malaysia, TMD Friction generated turnover of 662 million EUR in 2006 and employed 4,500 people worldwide.