Dell is expanding its manufacturing operations in Europe by building a facility at Łódź, Poland to meet increased demand and support the company’s growth across Central and Eastern Europe. Scheduled to open in Autumn 2007, the new facility is expected to employ around 1,000 people initially.
The new facility represents a Dell investment of €200 million in the growing Polish economy. Further indirect investment by Dell suppliers in the region is expected to be around €53 million. According to Dell, the new factory in Poland will be among the most advanced worldwide, offering improved flow of materials and newly-designed ergonomic manufacturing cells.
Dell Łódź will be located within a 500 kilometre radius of a Central and European IT market that is expected to grow by 13.9 per cent annually during the next five years. Once the new facility is operational, Dell’s Central, Nordic and Eastern European customers can expect a reduction of at least two days over the current system delivery times.
Commenting on the announcement, Paul Bell, Senior Vice President, Dell EMEA, said, “Proximity to a large base of Dell customers, the significant opportunity for growth promised by the Central and Eastern European economies, and the availability of a well-educated Polish workforce were key factors in our decision. This expansion is part of our ongoing investment in superior customer experience and Dell’s long-term growth. We acknowledge the great support of our partners in this project – the Polish Government and Łódź City Council”.
“Limerick will continue to play a key role in our overall EMEA operation,” said Michael Collins, General Manager, Dell Middle East. “The additional capacity achieved by way of the new facility will sustain the growing demand for Dell products across the EMEA region,” he added.
Complementing the successful Ireland-based manufacturing operation, the Łódź facility will produce and deliver Dell’s innovative technology products, including the latest generation PoweredgeTM servers and award-winning LatitudeTM and InspironTM notebooks, customised to meet the specific needs of Dell’s business and consumer customers.
The new facility will be led by Sean Corkery, Vice President of Dell’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) manufacturing, since 2000. Mr Corkery will report to Nicky Hartery, Vice President of Operations, Dell EMEA, who will have overall responsibility for both European manufacturing sites.
Dell’s EMEA growth over the last three years has included establishing customer centres in Germany, Morocco, Scotland and Slovakia, and adding new functions in Ireland including an R+D centre as well as advanced enterprise technical support and logistics centres to support its European business. In Poland, Dell already employs over 100 people in its sales, marketing and technical support operation, based in Warsaw. Globally, Dell has manufacturing facilities in Limerick, Ireland; Austin, TX; Nashville, TN; Winston Salem NC in the United States; Penang, Malaysia; Xiamen, China; and Eldorado do Sul, Brazil. Dell recently announced the establishment of a manufacturing facility in India; and a new South American manufacturing site in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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