Eybl Automotive Romania, a branch of the Austrian group Eybl International AG, a provider of components for the automotive industry, posted 16 million-euro turnover last year, up 14% against 2005, when it registered 14 million euros in turnover. However, company officials were reluctant to providing any business forecasts for this coming year.
"We do not have any new projects scheduled for this year, and are not targeting any new clients. This year, our intention is to develop partnerships with our existing clients, especially with Peugeot and BMW," Dacian Negrea, general manager of Eybl Automotive Romania, told ZF Transilvania.
In 2006, the company started work on a series of products for its new clients on the German market including Audi, BMW and Volkswagen, and diversified its product range for the French company Peugeot. These partnerships enabled Eybl Automotive Romania to invest around 2.5 million euros in the expansion of production capacities and warehousing.
"Last year, we built new facilities covering a 400 square-metre surface area, with the expansion increasing our personnel by 500," specified Dacian Negrea. In September 2005, Eybl completed another 2.5 million-euro investment by building a facility which generated a 30% increase in production capacities. Up until the beginning of 2005, the Austrian group operated two companies on the local market - Eybl Textile (a division specialising in woven fabrics) and Eybl Automotive Components (a division manufacturing leather steering wheel covers).
In February 2005, Eybl Textile absorbed Eybl Automotive Components, and the newly formed company began functioning under the name Eybl Textile. In early November 2005 it finally changed its name to Eybl Automotive Romania.
The company is based in Data, Timis county, where it runs two plants, one specialising in the production of leather
