Toyo Tire plant opens in Indjija

INDJIJA - A new Toyo Tire plant was opened in Indjija, northern Serbia, on Wednesday, at a ceremony also attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

He previously held a meeting with Toyo Tire executives and toured the plant.

This will be the best Toyo Tire plant in the world, Vucic said.

"This is what we were dreaming about two years ago when the construction of the factory began. It will be Serbia's top exporter," Vucic said, adding that the executives had told him the company wanted to make more investments in Indjija.

"They would like to do it here again, and I would like it to happen elsewhere," Vucic said.

"It will be a struggle," he added jokingly.

The arrival of Toyo Tire will mean much to Serbia, especially Indjija and its vicinity, he said.

The Japanese company has announced the Indjija plant would produce the Toyo Tire and Nitto brands.

The 382 mln euro factory is the largest Japanese investment in Serbia to date and the first-ever greenfield investment by Toyo Tire in Europe.

The Indjija municipality provided the necessary infrastructure and 63 ha of development land for the construction of the plant.

With a workforce of around 560, the innovative, highly environmentally-friendly factory is expected to produce 5 mln tyres a year for the European, Middle Eastern, African and North American markets.

The ceremony was also attended by Toyo Tire CEO Takashi Shimizu, Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Takahiko Katsumata, the head of the Vojvodina provincial government Igor Mirovic, the director of the Office for Dual Education Gabrijela Grujic and Indjija Mayor Vladimir Gak.