Nokia inaugurates its new Romanian-based factory producing Nokia 1200

Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone manufacturer, cut ribbon for the first mobile phone assembly line at its new plant in the town of Jucu, Western Romania, in the presence of Nokia's senior vice president, Juha Putkiranta, Nokia Romania's director John Guerry and local authorities.

The new plant, inside the Tetarom III industrial park, will employ 1,000 people by the end of the year. The company employed so far 350 people and there will be 3,500 of them by the end of 2009.

Putkiranta said new people join the team every week and expressed his hope the investment at Jucu turns out to be a long term one. The plant will become an important part of the company's global network of production centers, the senior vice president added.

The first mobile phone produced at Jucu is Nokia 1200. Putkiranta said the plant in Romania is more profitable than the one in Germany. The company recently announced plans to close down the plant in Germany and transfer production to Romania, stirring waves of protest from unions and local authorities after several thousands were left unemployed.

Nokia produces most of its mobile phones in countries with cheaper markets such as Romania, Hungary, China or India. It also has a plant in Finland.

NewsIn