Gorenje launching TV sets production, expanding workforce

Velenje – Gorenje, the Chinese-owned household appliances maker, is launching production of TV sets in Velenje this week. More than 350 workers are already working at the Hisense Europe Electronic factory, and their number is to increase to 520 by the end of the month. As of next week, around 800 TV sets are to be produced a day.

The production of TV sets for the European market under new company called Hisense Europe Electronic is being set up at a former Gorenje production facility.

Initially, three production lines will operate and workers will work in two shifts. Another two lines are to be launched next month, Hisense Gorenje said on Thursday.

The investment in technological equipment is worth EUR 7 million.

In the first phase, around 800 TV sets are to be produced a day, but when full production starts, two million sets should be produced a year. This is to be raised based on demand to almost four million TV sets a year in the next couple of years.

Gorenje workers who were undergoing training for the new jobs at the end of the year will be first to be offered jobs at the new factory. The company will, however, also hire 80 new workers.

Gorenje’s household appliances factories also plan to hire several hundred new workers in the coming months.

“With this investment, Hisense supports the strategy of centralisation of its production bases in Europe thus increasing efficiency of operations, including cost-efficiency, while Slovenia has become the centre of Hisense’s production operations and also the seat of the European section of the group,” the company said.

Hisense Gorenje also said that the investment would have positive effects for the region, including through the possibility of setting up a local network of suppliers.

The official opening of the factory is planned in February because of the epidemiological situation.

Hisense initially planned to build a new plant for TV sets production, but later decided to set up production at a disused production facility.

The company also drastically changed its employment plans in less than a year, after it announced mass lay-offs last spring.

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