The record number of 185 thousand vehicles produced in the plant in Poznań, increase in employment to more than 9 thousand persons, opening of the new plant in Września and starting production of Crafter model – these are the results with which 2016 ended for Volkswagen Poznań.
- This was a very successful year for Volkswagen Poznań – sums up Jens Ocksen, President of Volkswagen Poznań. – We opened a new plant in Września and we have already started production of the model Crafter. Thanks to this project, more than 1800 new workers have already joined us, and we still continue recruitment of others. Our four production plants and the Special Vehicle Body Plant have obtained very good results – adds President Ocksen.
Annual production in Antoninek / Poznań reached the record level of 185 thousand cars. One of the leaders among the models of commercial vehicles ordered by the clients is Caddy 4, whose worldwide premiere took place in 2015. Thanks to popularity of the models Caddy and Transporter, the factory operates this year also in the period between Christmas and the New Year.
- 2016 was a record year. Obtaining of such a number of produced cars required great discipline and enormous commitment of our employees – explains Dietmar Mnich, Director of the Plant in Poznań.
Also the Special Vehicle Body Plant Volkswagen Poznań closed the passing year with a very good result - more than 42 500 vehicles were adjusted or additionally equipped, including ca. 1800 for the British market and 130 for the Polish police. The adjustment ordered most frequently by the clients last year was Caddy according to individual order of a client.
The plant in Września implements production of the next variants of the model Crafter and prepares the volume of vehicles required for placing in the market in the first quarter of 2017. – Completion of construction process and start-up of a new model in less than two years is our great success. The plant in Września is not only very modern, but also ecological, which is confirmed by the certificate of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) – says Ralf Nitzschke, Director of Crafter Plant in Białężyce near Września. From the moment of starting production until the end of 2016 more than 2200 new vehicles will leave our production lines. For the next two years we will successively implement production of the next variants of the model Crafter, in order to reach the volume of 100 thousand vehicles annually in 2018 - adds Ralf Nitzschke.
Volkswagen Poznań Foundry closed the year 2016 with the result of 4,47 million of produced components, that is 27% more than in 2015, having used more than 30 tons of aluminum to this end. – The employers of the foundry introduced numerous optimizations with success, initiated innovative projects, as for example, process heat recovery, carried out start-ups of new products and manufactured record numbers of products, says Mirco Wöllenstein, Director of Volkswagen Poznań Foundry.
2016 was also the year of records in terms of employing new workforce. In connection with the new plant of VW Crafter in Września, already 1800 persons have been employed and in the process of recruitment for the second and third shift a further number of 1200 persons will be employed. At present, four plants of the company employ more than 9.000 persons, which makes Volkswagen Poznań the largest employer in the region of Wielkopolska. Volkswagen Poznań covers all its employees with medical care on the area of the respective plants. In addition, the employees may participate in the Medical Package, paid by the employer in its basic scope, and they may also join the Employee Pension Scheme.