Volkswagen to open new assembly plant in Algeria
28/11/2016
In the presence of the Algerian industry minister, Abdessellam Bouchouareb, Volkswagen director of production and logistics, Dr Josef Baumert, and head of overseas production, Andreas Lauenroth, signed a new joint-venture agreement with Mourad Oulmi, chief executive of SOVAC, a long-standing Volkswagen sales partner in the North African country. In 2015, SOVAC imported 30,000 new Volkswagen group vehicles for the Algerian market.
From the spring of 2017, the joint venture company, SOVAC Production, is to produce selected Volkswagen models, including the Volkswagen Golf, the Seat Ibiza and the Skoda Octavia.
“This is a logical step towards increasing vehicle sales in Algeria in the long term," said Dr Baumert at the contract signing in Algiers.
For his part, Mr Lauenroth said the new set-up will allow Volkswagen to reach “made-in-Europe quality standards” in Algeria.
A new assembly building is being constructed on a 150-hectare site in the region of Relizane, 220 kilometres west of Algiers.
Image (courtesy of Volkswagen) shows Dr Josef Baumert of Volkswagen and SOVAC chief executive, Mourad Oulmi, signing the new agreement. From the left, Martin Vavra, embassy of the Czech Republic Embassy, Dr Wolfgang Klapper, economic counsellor of the German Embassy in Algiers, Abdesselam Bouchouareb, Algerian Minister of Industry and Alejandro Polanco, Spanish Embassy in Algiers, look on.
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