Construction has begun on a 65,000 sqm building in Ostrov near Karlovy Vary, in the new Panattoni Park Ostrov South industrial park. The first tenant will be WITTE Automotive Czechia, an international manufacturing company specialising in the development and production of system solutions for the automotive industry. The developer of the project is Panattoni and the investor is Accolade Fund. Completion is scheduled for 2025.
For WITTE Automotive Czechia, the new 27,000 sqm production facility represents the company’s third location in the Czech Republic. The company has other offices in nearby Nejdek and also in Ostrov, just a short distance from where the new hall is now being built. The originally German company, which deals with system solutions for doors, hoods and seats for cars, currently employs over 2,000 people in the Czech Republic, making it the second strongest employer in the Karlovy Vary region. Importantly, key roles in product development and production are centralised in the Czech Republic.
In the first phase of the project, WITTE Automotive Czechia is going to open a new production plant that will offer 250 to 350 jobs. “The expansion of activities in the Karlovy Vary region is a confirmation of our commitment to maintain the WITTE brand in this region as a leading employer with modern facilities for its employees and customers. The new production facility will provide the necessary space for our customers’ planned projects and will significantly improve not only our automation and digitalization capabilities, but also the facilities for our employees. The main objective of WITTE is also to reorganize the areas between the new plant and the original plant in Nejdek, where we are also expanding the Spare Parts Centre. The expansion of this centre by another 50 jobs will enable WITTE to better employ people with work restrictions for shift work and in the 55+ category, which we see as a very important social factor for the Karlovy Vary region. In future activities we will focus on developing the expertise of our employees, deploying modern technologies and minimizing our ecological footprint. The construction of the new plant underlines our strategic commitment to further development and innovation,” emphasises Michal Hornák, Managing Director of WITTE Automotive Czechia.
“This is yet another project supporting the economic transformation of the Karlovy Vary Region. Moreover, WITTE is considered a good employer in the locality. In Panattoni Park Ostrov South, it will be dedicated not only to production, but also to development. We are very pleased with the interest in expanding production within the site because it proves that the Karlovy Vary Region has a lot to offer foreign investors,” says Klára Sobotková, Regional Development Director, Panattoni.
“We have been investing in the Karlovy Vary Region for more than ten years and we are pleased with how much the region has moved in that time. We are pleased that our industrial parks are helping major players to maintain and expand current production while further increasing the supply of skilled jobs in the area. We wish WITTE many more contracts and success in the next thirty years or more in the Karlovy Vary region,” said Accolade CEO Milan Kratina.
The new industrial park stands out for its location and excellent accessibility to transport infrastructure. It will integrate elements of sustainable construction and modern technologies that not only reduce energy consumption but are also environmentally friendly. These include heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, systems for heat recovery or the environmentally friendly treatment of rainwater and, last but not least, charging stations for electric vehicles. The project will aspire to one of the highest ratings in the international sustainability certification BREEAM New Construction, at the Excellent level.
