Wander Thoughts

Employees at a factory where labels are manufactured claim they have been informed that their facility will be shut down and operations will be relocated to Central Europe.

Approximately 180 personnel operate at the MCC factory located on the Llantarnam Industrial Estate within Cwmbran, Torfaen, where they manufacture labels for food and beverage products.

The website has been in operation for more than 20 years, but employees have been informed that the company intends to close down operations with tasks being relocated to Poland and Romania.

The corporate entity has been solicited for a statement.

The factory is part of a multinational corporation with facilities located across worldwide, encompassing the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.

In an email to employees, MCC president Fred Noel stated: "This was a challenging but required decision that reflects changes in local requirements."

We are currently collaborating closely with the local team and customers to evaluate available choices, and if necessary, reprioritize product distribution to other locations.

The Alstom plant in Görlitz has manufactured rolling stock for over 175 years. It has recently been acquired by the Franco-German defense contractor KNDS to produce components for the Leopard 2 and other defense systems.

on Wednesday.

KNDS will complete its takeover of Alstom's train carriage factory in Görlitz, Germany by 2027.

"Instead of train carriages, parts for the defense sector will be manufactured here from next year," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the factory on Wednesday.

Scholz stated that "it is very good news that industrial jobs are being safeguarded even though Alstom will be leaving Görlitz."

What will the factory manufacture?

The Görlitz factory has been producing rolling stock for over 175 years, tracing its timeline to the era when the German emperors were in power.

It will continue to manufacture double-decker carriages up until next year to fulfill pending orders in Germany and in Israel.

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Edited by Louis Oelofse

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Toyota Announces Plan to Construct An Electric Vehicle Factory in Shanghai for Lexus Brand Amid Challenges Faced by Foreign Car Manufacturers in China.

The world's leading automaker made the statement as it revised its forecast for annual net profit upwards to almost $30 billion, in addition to its revenue projection.

Toyota announced its decision to set up a wholly-owned company in Shanghai, China, for the development and production of Lexus battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and batteries.

It is reportedly set to begin manufacturing there after 2027, with plans to create around 1,000 new positions and produce approximately 100,000 vehicles annually.

Japanese business newspaper Nikkei had reported in December that Toyota was planning to construct a new factory in Shanghai.

China surpassed Japan as the world's leading automobile exporter in 2022, thanks in part to its dominance in electric vehicles, a market segment where Japanese companies have suffered from falling behind, prioritizing hybrid vehicles instead.

Weak consumer spending and intense competition is making life challenging for many automobile manufacturers globally.

Toyota's approach to offer a diverse array of vehicles, including hybrid models, has been successful in markets such as the United States.

Toyota announced on Wednesday that it anticipates posting a net profit of 4.52 trillion yen ($29.5 billion) for the current fiscal year, which is higher than its previous forecast of 3.57 trillion yen.

The company also increased its full-year sales forecast to 47 trillion yen from 46 trillion yen.

The "upward revision reflects progress made in increasing earnings power, supported by efforts enhancing product competitiveness", the company stated.

Sales of hybrid electric vehicles increased during the period from April to December, according to Toyota.

Over the same timeframe, in China, total vehicle sales decreased from 1.5 to 1.4 million units.

Honda and Nissan, Japan's second- and third-largest automakers after Toyota, have also initiated discussions on a potential merger to enhance their presence in the electric vehicle and autonomous technology sectors.

Reports this week suggest that talks may be faltering due to Honda's proposal to make its financially-strained counterpart, Nissan, a subsidiary.

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© Agence France-Presse