Automobile seats for Fiat Ducato will be manufactured in Tatarstan

The Daewon Sollers Yelabuga car-seat manufacturing joint venture was opened in the Yelabuga region. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Tatarstan Roustam Minnikhanov and Daewon President Jo Gak Sunn.

Sollers Yelabuga owns a 30-percent stake in the new venture. The company’s plant, located nearby, manufactures the Fiat Ducato commercial vehicles. The Korean Daewon, one of the biggest component suppliers, owns 70 percent in the enterprise. Daewon has factories producing car seats and car springs not only in Korea but in India, China, Poland and the US. Daewon auto components are used in the majority of the Korea-made autos.

The plant in Yelabuga will initially manufacture up to 100 thousand sets of seats a year. First, they will be seats for Fiat Ducato versions. Later, seats for the SsangYong and UAZ Patriot cars will be produced. In the near future, to increase production localisation, the plant will use raw materials provided by Tatarstan suppliers. In particular, upholstery material and foam filler for seats will be manufactured from raw material provided by Nizhnekamskneftechim.

The initial investment in the joint venture was $5 million. About the same is to be invested in the next two years. The total amount of investment is intended to be $15 million. The personnel are by that time to total 450 people, while production will be 300 thousand seat sets a year.

“We in Tatarstan had a dream to roll out production of cars and we have succeeded in doing it,” noted Roustam Minnikhanov at the opening ceremony. “Our friend and partner Vadim Shvetsov, director of the Sollers company, then said that auto component manufacturers would now come to Tatarstan. Today we can see it happening.”

“It is a double pleasure that raw material is to be supplied by Nizhnekasmkneftechim. I would like to pledge that the Republic of Tatarstan authorities are interested in implementing the project,” claimed the head of Tatar government. “The time is difficult but Sollers is looking into the future and boldly implements its plans. Let us thank them for it.”

Jol Gak Sunn called the today’s ceremony a guarantee of the entire Russian auto industry improving its quality. “I am happy that we are today launching this state-of-the-art plant. I wish everyone success and prosperity,” he noted.

“Nowadays, the question of having confidence of oneself is crucial,” stated the Sollers CEO Vadim Shvetsov. “We have faith in our strength, in our product, and we are going on with our programme of localisation. We will continue to develop our joint venture. I am sure the plant will in the future get new orders from other auto manufacturers.”

The distinguished guests cut the red ribbon and toured the plant’s conveyer belt. In the conclusion, they took part in the shipping of the first lot of Fiat Ducato seats.