Malmar, a Belgian custom-made metal component manufacturer for automotive and construction industries, has chosen Klaipėda as their new destination for manufacturing operations. To kick-start the operations, Malmar intends to hire around 20 people and will expand the team as the manufacturing base becomes more established. The company will be looking to employ engineers, welders, logistics and quality assurance specialists.
The production plant in Klaipėda will be focused on export and will deliver metal parts to clients in a wide range of industries: from automotive to construction. The company’s products include link plates that allow giant cranes to move like a human arm while lifting several tons, control boxes and cooler stands for road construction machinery, and multiple components used in commercial vehicles.
Malmar has already discovered the Baltic States as an attractive region for their operations, having run a production plant in Ventspils, Latvia, since 2006. The proximity between the sites and the quality-oriented work culture have been some of the most important factors influencing the company’s decision, said Dorsan De Buysscher, CEO of Malmar.
“By establishing ourselves in Lithuania, we wish to strengthen our production capacity in the Baltic Sea region. We are glad to have received proactive support from Invest Lithuania. It has helped to make the process of setting up smoother,” Dorsan De Buysscher says.
“Following the example of the Ventspils facility, Malmar Lithuania will be an independent production plant focusing on sheet metal production. We aspire to receive ISO/IATF certification for this plant in the nearest future.”
According to Gediminas Koryzna, Director of Business Development Department at Invest Lithuania, Malmar will benefit from the strategic position and the quality of the labour pool that Klaipėda offers.
“Situated on the shore of the Baltic Sea, Klaipėda is a convenient hub for the manufacturing and delivery needs of the wider Nordic region. Furthermore, Northwest Lithuania has long-standing traditions when it comes to shipbuilding and metal constructions, which are easily transferable to Malmar’s line of work.”
Lithuania’s Minister of Economy Virginijus Sinkevičius believes that the coming of Malmar coincides with the unprecedented growth of the country’s automotive cluster.
“With the decision of global industry leaders Continental and Hella to open factories in Kaunas, the Lithuanian automotive industry has ensured the growth of the automotive electronics segment for many years to come. At the same time, the country is home to different mid-sized manufacturers that supply metal parts to major carmakers. The mentioned companies and newcomers like Malmar that produce critical components for the industry form a strong automotive cluster ensuring that traditionally strong competencies are applied to meet the needs of the modern Lithuanian economy,” states Virginijus Sinkevičius, Lithuanian Minister of Economy.
When it comes to hiring, Malmar fosters an environment where each employee feels fulfilled and gets all the possibilities to grow as a professional. All new hires will receive full support and training from the company’s international Management team, states Dorsan De Buysscher, CEO of Malmar.
“Our organization is flat and lean, and we encourage all our workers to work closely, undertake responsibility and generate new ideas that are essential in improving workflow. In all of our branches, we follow four core values: collaboration, transparency, efficiency and quality,” Dorsan De Buysscher believes. “In neighbouring Latvia, we have already gained the reputation for hiring ambitious young people who are seeking to grow in a result-driven international environment. We intend to bring our best practice to the Lithuanian branch as well.”
Malmar has more than 250 workers across Europe. The company has an extensive portfolio of clients that include many automotive and construction market leaders.
