Trelleborg unveils plans for expansion in Russia, Vietnam, Japan, Morocco

Trelleborg, Sweden – Trelleborg AB is expanding its geographical footprint by establishing manufacturing operations in Russia, Vietnam, Japan, and Morocco. 

Marking the group’s ‘first fully owned production facilities’ in these countries, the facilities will be built with a total investment of just under SEK300 million (€30 million) over a five-year period, Trelleborg announced 4 Oct.

Swedish polymer group expects the facilities to be fully operational in 2026, creating 300 jobs in total.

Of the four factories, two will be operated by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (TSS) and two will be managed by Trelleborg Industrial Solutions (TIS), the group said.

TSS expects to begin manufacturing sealing solutions for the domestic Russian market in the third quarter of 2022 from its production site in Yesipovo near Moscow.

The site, Trelleborg said, will manufacture “high-performance seals for the transportation equipment and aerospace market segments, among others.” 

Trelleborg has up until now operated sales offices in Russia for sealing solutions and sealing profiles.

In Vietnam, TSS is establishing a sealing solutions plant in response to the growth of global manufacturers in the country over the past decade.

“The group sees a need for its own production site in the country for engineered seals for several market segments and is currently exploring different alternatives,” said Trelleborg without giving further details.

In the key Japanese automotive market, TIS expects to begin manufacturing automotive boots in Odawara, south-west of Tokyo, in the first quarter of 2022. 

Automotive boots comprise a dynamic sealing system, manufactured from thermoplastic elastomers, which seal vehicle drive shafts and prevent ingress of contaminants such as salt, water, or particles. 

Trelleborg, which has so far operated sales offices for sealing and marine solutions in Japan, said it had noted a “highly favourable sales trend for its automotive boots’ operations over a long period [in the country].”

Furthermore, the Swedish group began manufacturing automotive boots in Kenitra, Morocco in the spring of 2021, in response to rising demand. 

The plant is the group’s first production facility on the African continent.

Trelleborg said the purpose of the investments was to provide closer proximity to customers in “growing and profitable segments.”

“Trelleborg’s success is based on our ability to combine a strongly decentralised and local organisation with the competence and financial strength of a global company,” said president and CEO Peter Nilsson.

These investments, he said, will allow more business decisions to be made close to customers, and create “competitive flexibility and an even greater market and customer awareness.”