The British company Johnson Matthey is a world leader in the production of catalysts for the automotive industry and catalyst systems for pollution control. Johnson Matthey has operations in over 30 countries worldwide and employs about 12,000 people. One third of all new vehicles in the world have Johnson Matthey catalytic converters.

“Johnson Matthey” chose Macedonia as a destination for its European mega-factory for autocatalysts in competition with 13 countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The Johnson Matthey factory in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1 is the largest investment project, and also the most sophisticated and advanced Johnson Matthey factory in the world and is considered the largest exporter from Macedonia. The investment is € 80 million, and the initial number of employment was over 350.

In May 2012, Johnson Matthey marked the start of a major expansion project in Macedonia with the construction of a second factory located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1. This investment amounts to € 65 million, which doubled the initial production and created over 500 new jobs.

In October 2021, the total number of employees is 998 people.

The American company “KEMET” has an 85-year history, based and factory in South Carolina, USA. There are production facilities in Mexico, China, Italy, England, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Indonesia, Germany, Bulgaria, Nevada-USA and Macedonia. “KEMET” also owns two specialized electronics companies, “FELCO” in Chicago-Illinois and “Dectron” in Sweden. In October 2012, on a plot of 4.4 hectares, “KEMET” has built a new factory in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1 with an area of 44,267 m². The total investment is € 30 million and it is expected to create 500 jobs. In October 2021, the number of employees is 298 people. In this factory “KEMET” produces capacitors for the automotive industry and various industrial applications.

The Italian industrial group “Vitilo” is present in Macedonia in TIDZ Skopje 1 as “Vitek Macedonia” (Technohose), since 2011. The main activity of the company is the production of high pressure hydraulic couplings and rubber hoses for the automotive and other industries, and the production from Macedonia is intended for the whole of Europe, the Gulf countries and America. The total investment of the company is 25 million euros. The total number of employees in “Vitek Macedonia” in October 2021 is 144 people, and it is planned that the total number will reach about 190 people.

For more than 65 years, the Belgian company “Van Hool” enjoys a high reputation for designing and manufacturing high-quality and modern vehicles. Van Hool produces an average of 1,400 buses and trailers and about 4,000 other commercial vehicles a year, 80% of which are exported worldwide. With a workforce of over 4,000, Van Hool is one of the largest bus manufacturers in Europe, offering a full range of public transport buses for the international market. The Belgian company “Van Hool” in July 2012, signed the investment agreement in Macedonia, and in 2014 started operating in the production plant with an area of 39,000 m², located in TIDZ Skopje 2. With this, the investment of “Van Hool” In Macedonia is the first strategic investment in the production capacity of the company outside Belgium. This initial investment amounts to € 25 million, with 800 employees. With the realization of this investment, ie with the presence of the Belgian bus manufacturer in TIDZ Skopje 2, for the first time a finished product is exported, technologically highly sophisticated in highly sophisticated markets, which bears the sign “Made in Macedonia”. In May 2016, “Van Hooll” at the same location in TIDZ Skopje 2 invested in a new production plant with an investment worth € 15 million, with 400 new jobs. The investment is implemented in three phases. In the first phase of September, 2016, the warehouse was scheduled to be completed. In the second phase in April, 2017, it was planned to open four new production lines that doubled the capacity for production of buses, and in the third phase in August, 2017, an additional chamber for painting buses was built. The total number of employees in “Van Hool” during October 2021 is about 919 people.

The American company “Johnson Controls” is a global leader in the production of car seats, instrument panels, and interiors. At over 240 locations worldwide, over 91,000 employees, including over 6,000 engineers and designers, develop and manufacture the widest range of technologies and interior systems for automakers of all types. In October 2016, Johnson Controls announced the new name “Adient” which refers to their line of car seats and interior design. The change was a decision by the US conglomerate to split its car interior business globally and resulted in two independent companies, “Johnson Controls International plc” and “Adient plc”. “Adient” is based in Ireland. Adient’s corporate offices are in Plymouth, Milwaukee and Wisconsin (USA), Burshid (Germany), Shanghai (China). With 75,000 workers in 230 factories in 32 countries around the world, Adient manufactures and distributes car seats for all types of vehicles. In October 2011, “Adient” started its investment project for a new factory for car seat covers in the Technological-industrial development zone Stip. The investment is € 20 million, and the number of employees at the beginning of October 2021 is 1776 people. In June 2017, another factory of the American company “Adient” was opened in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Strumica. The factory, which is the first capacity in TIDZ Strumica, produces car seat covers. The investment amounts to € 22.3 million, and the number of employees at the beginning of October is 1368 people.

“Technical Textiles” is a German manufacturer of fiberglass used in the automotive and aerospace industries, in the production of windmills and ships, as well as insulation materials for construction. The company has four production facilities in Germany, Slovakia and China, and the factory in the Technological-industrial development zone Stip is the fifth factory of “Technical Textiles” with an area of 49,382 m². The factory in Macedonia started production in August 2015, where fiberglass is produced, which is widely used in the construction, automotive and shipping industries. The German company chose Macedonia as an investment destination in competition with Abu Dhabi. At the beginning of October, the number of employees was 161. The size of the investment is € 7.1 million.

The Italian company “Diatek” is a world leader in the printing machinery industry. In addition to production facilities in Italy, the company has its plants in Germany, Switzerland, France and the United States. Through its six production facilities in the world, “Diatek” has an annual turnover of € 200 million and employs a total of 800 people. “Diatek” is spread over an area of 36,001 m² located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1. The size of this investment is € 2.88 million, and the number of planned jobs should reach 200 people. At the beginning of October 2021 the number of employees is 34 people. The production is intended for the markets of Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.

The American company “ARC Automotive” is a world manufacturer that produces a complete program of car inflators for airbags (driver, passengers, side curtains). The company has a 60-year history. It covers an area of 22,168 m². Less than a year after the decision to invest, more precisely in December 2015, “ARC Automotive” opened a factory for the production of airbag inflators in Macedonia, located in TIDZ Skopje 1, an investment worth € 13.1 million. At the beginning of October in 2021, the number of employees is 404 people. The company is export-oriented, with products primarily for the European market. The factory has the most modern equipment and highly sophisticated production lines, which is a challenge for all professionals from Macedonia who will be found in its operation.

The Italian company “Condevo” is a leader in the production of heat exchangers for boilers and a supplier to world-renowned manufacturers of boilers. The company offers a wide range of components that meet the most modern technical conditions and concepts in this sector. “Condevo” has been present on the European market since 1969. The size of the investment plot is 49,382 m². In September 2015, the Italian company “Condevo” started building its new factory in Macedonia located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Stip. The size of the investment is € 40 million. At the beginning of October in 2021, 96 people are employed, and a total of 250 are planned.

“Joyson Safety Systems”, known as Key Safety Systems, is a Chinese company that develops and manufactures automotive safety systems. The company is the result of a merger between KSS and Takata Corporation after Key Safety Systems took over Takata. The company is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States. “Joyson Safety Systems” selected Macedonia in 2014 to expand production in Europe. The size of the investment is 27 million euros, and the company will initially start producing airbags and modules. The global supplier of advanced automotive safety systems and components started operating in a facility in Kicevo as a brownfield investment in 2015, and from 2016 continued production in a greenfield facility in the free zone Kicevo on an area of 13,600 m². Total area of the plot is 42 154 m². “Joyson Safety Systems” is owned by Ningbo Joyson Electronics known as the Chinese Automotive Conglomerate which took over Key Safety Systems in 2016. The company is a world leader in the manufacture, development and production of inflatables, airbags, steering wheels and seat belts. Globally, they have an international network of 34 sales, design and manufacturing facilities employing around 50,000 people worldwide. At the beginning of October in 2021, 1,430 people are employed in the free zone Kicevo, and this number is expected to reach 1500 people.

The American corporation “Gentherm” is recognized by the largest manufacturers in the automotive industry as the best supplier of air conditioning systems for heating and cooling of seats and controls, electronics and cables. Genterm production is installed by a number of automotive brands such as Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Lexus and Kia. The company has production in 11 countries and more than 5,000 employees worldwide. After the cornerstone of TIDZ Prilep was laid in December 2012, in December 2014 “Gentherm” announced its decision to implement the investment in this zone, and in July 2016 the company officially started operating. In the first phase, with an investment of € 20 million, a production plant was built on an area of 9,500 m². The total investment is 36.1 million euros and the size of the plot is 37,490 m². The factory produces parts for all renowned car manufacturers that are intended for the European market. The number of employees at the beginning of October in 2021 is 1,891 people, and this number is planned to reach 2,000 people.

The American company “Delphi” is a leading global supplier for the automotive and commercial vehicle market. It is among the top 15 global suppliers in the automotive industry with an annual turnover of over € 17 billion. It has 146 thousand employees worldwide with 126 production plants and is operational in over 33 countries. In March 2017, this American car giant split its business into two independent companies: Delphi Technologies and Aptiv. Delphi renamed part of its business focused on automated driving and electrification, calling the new entity Aptiv, formalizing the separation of that aspect of its company from a more traditional engine-focused part. In December 2015, Aptiv decided to invest in a factory in Macedonia, located in TIDZ Skopje 1 for the production of the latest technology of a vehicle module that is installed throughout Europe and to cooperate with other Delphi facilities in the region to provide efficiency and flexibility for customers. The size of the plot is 53,998 m².
– Delphi is focused on delivering high quality, industry-leading technologies that help manufacturers achieve a higher electronic and security system. Capacities in Macedonia will help achieve this goal in 2015, said Lucie Toscani, former Delphi Global Operations Director. The value of this investment is € 30.3 million, with 441 jobs during October 2021 in Macedonia.

“High-tech Assembly Center” is the first domestic company that decided to invest in Macedonia, whose founder and owner is “High-tech Corp.” from Skopje. Its products are used in the automotive, aerospace and military industries, as well as in the production of medical equipment. The clients of this Macedonian company are global brands, such as “Continental”, “Siemens”, “Bosch” and “Philips”. In February 2016, the cornerstone was laid at the factory of “Hi-Tech” in TIDZ Skopje 1. As a supplier to many world companies in the automotive industry in the field of electronic boards, with its new activity in TIDZ, the company, “Hi-Tech” goes a step further and goes from mostly prototype to serial production, ie diversification of the activity of assembling electronic boards. The production includes the use of electronically printed circuit boards as a basis on which further components such as microprocessors, resistors, capacitors, transistor connectors, etc. are assembled. The size of the factory plot is 18,861 m². According to the business plan, the value of the investment is about 6.6 million euros. At the beginning of October 2021, the number of employees in this company in TIDZ Skopje 1 is 104 people, and that number is expected to reach about 300 jobs. The company’s products are entirely intended for foreign markets, most of them will be exported to Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The American company “Lear Corporation” is a leading global agent for car seat covers and electrical distribution systems. Lear Corporation serves all major car manufacturers in the world, and their products are represented in more than 350 types of vehicles. Lear Corporation’s world-class products are designed, projected and manufactured by an expert team of approximately 140,000 employees, spread across 36 countries. The factory of “Lear Corporation” in Macedonia is located in TIDZ Tetovo on an area of 12,000 with an investment worth over € 15 million. The area of the plot is 33,073 m². It has top machinery, production facilities (for cutting leather and canvas), a warehouse and office premises. At the beginning of October 2021, the number of employees in “Lear Corporation” in Macedonia is 1195 people.

The German company “Accomplast” specializes in plastic modeling of car parts and uses the latest technology. Apart from Germany, the company has factories in England and the Czech Republic. In January 2016, ” Accomplast” laid the cornerstone for the production of car parts in Macedonia located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Alinci, near Prilep. The size of the company’s plot is 21 639 m². In September 2017, it officially started its investment in the Technological Development Zone Alinci, near Prilep, in the amount of € 3 million. Through the subsidiary company “Injection Molding – Prilep” started the production of plastic molded parts for well-known companies in the automotive industry such as Daimler, BMW, Audi, Bentley and Jaguar. At the beginning of October 2021, the number of employees is 29 people. The investment is planned to be expanded with a new plant with a total of 250 new jobs planned.

The German company “ODW Electric” has many years of experience in the production of automotive components and is an innovative company for development and supplier of high quality cables, solenoids and mechanical-electronic systems. The company develops technologies and has its production in four European locations: Germany. Hungary, Ukraine and Macedonia, with a staff of over 2,000 employees. In September 2017, “ODW Electric” officially opened the factory in Macedonia, located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone between the cities of Struga and Ohrid. In parallel with the construction of this facility in the zone, “ODW Electric”, since 2014, operated in an adapted brownfield facility in Ohrid, where preparations were made for the production of cables and electrical installations for the most famous car brands such as Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen . The facility covers an area of 21,639 m² with a total investment value of € 15 million and planned over 1,000 jobs for residents of Ohrid, Struga and neighboring municipalities. In addition to employees, a number of domestic companies in the metal industry will also benefit, as well as service activities such as food production, security and logistics.

The “WIK” Groupation is a German family-owned electrical appliance company based in Essen and Hong Kong, with centers for innovation, design and development. It was established in the 1950s and already has production facilities in China and Indonesia. The company has 6,000 employees with 350 engineers. In November 2016, a decision was made to invest in Macedonia. In July 2017, “WIK” started construction of production facilities in TIDZ Prilep for the production of electrical appliances. All production is intended for export to Europe. The capacity covers an area of 63,341 m². The investment amounts to € 11.6 million, and € 12 million is provided for the construction of the facility, equipment and machinery with 1,200 jobs. At the beginning of October 2021, the number of employees was 361 people.

The Turkish company Çağatay Kablo was established in 1998 to produce wires and cables mainly for the needs of the automotive industry. The main clients of the company are the leading manufacturers of buses, tractors, construction machines, trucks, commercial vehicles, air conditioners, cleaning machines and special airport vehicles.
In May 2017, in addition to a factory in Turkey, “Çağatay Kablo” decided to build a new factory in Macedonia with an investment value of € 4 million. The company leased a plot of land in TIDZ Skopje 1 with a size of 26,000 m² and already in September 2017 began construction of the facility. The start of production of this new factory is expected to begin in 2018.
The company comes to Skopje as a supplier to the Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool, which is also present in this industrial complex. This is important because the other companies with foreign capital in Macedonia, primarily “Van Hool”, will purchase spare parts from this factory, and will not import them from abroad.
The significance of the construction of the Turkish company, “Çağatay Kablo” in TIDZ Skopje 1 is certainly most pronounced through the announced new employments, about 300 people in a period of 5 years. At the beginning of October 2021, 79 people were employed.

The renowned Swiss company “BAUMER” in 2018 decided to invest in Macedonia, more precisely in TIDZ Skopje 1 and started building the production capacity which today is in an advanced stage. The key to this foreign investment is that it will have a scientific research center that will employ over 30 young engineers in the field of electronics, informatics, mechanical technology. “Baumer Holding AG” is a family-owned international company producing advanced sensor technology, inductive and process sensors, encoders, cables and other electronics semi-finished products. “BAUMER” is present with 38 branches in 19 countries around the world with over 2,700 employees, and from 2018 in Macedonia. The size of the company plot is 19,107 m². The amount of the planned investment will be around 4.7 million euros, with 150 new jobs announced in five phases. The number of employees at the beginning of October was 40 people.

In July 2018, the Turkish company “Murat Ticaret” started building a factory in TIDZ Skopje 2 and announced an investment of 5.5 million euros. The size of the plot is 32,162 m². It produces cables and electrical installations for the automotive industry. The products are intended for the European and American markets. The company was founded in 1969 and has operations in Europe, China, North America, several factories in Turkey, China, Mexico with a total staff of 2000 people.
300 jobs are planned, and at the beginning of October there are 79 employees.

At the beginning of 2019, the renowned German company from the pharmaceutical industry “Gerresheimer” decided to invest in a new factory, in TIDZ Skopje 2, and in October of the same year signed a land lease agreement. This is the first factory of the German company in Southeast Europe, and North Macedonia was chosen as a favorable business destination in competition with neighboring countries, due to the policies of the Government, as well as NATO membership. The size of the company plot in TIDZ Skopje 2 is 139,011 m². “Gerresheimer” only in the first phase committed to create 200 jobs, and in the medium term to double this number, for highly educated staff from the Republic of North Macedonia. The first investment cycle of “Gerresheimer” is five years and started in 2019, and is expected to end by 2024 with an investment of 24 million euros. Production in our country started in April 2020. Düsseldorf-based German Gerresheimer is a global leader in the production of plastic and glass medical packaging. The company has production facilities in 15 countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America employing around 10,000 people and generating revenues of approximately 1. 4 billion euros. At the beginning of October 2021, it has 70 employees, and over 500 employees are planned.

Iprotex is a German company from the automotive industry that decided to invest in TIDZ Skopje 1, Republic of North Macedonia. On January 20, 2021, Iprotex and the Directorate for Technological Industrial Zones signed a state support agreement, with which this German company, part of the Innotech & Iprotex group, committed to an investment of 3.75 million euros and the creation of 100 jobs in TIDZ Skopje 1. At the beginning of October in 2021 there are 46 employees. In the Factory of TIDZ Skopje 1 this company plans to move parts of the production including technology from Germany to North Macedonia. Iprotex in TIDZ Skopje 1 will start with the introduction of new technology, more precisely, a production line for extrusion of monofilaments will be introduced. This is a completely new area in the company’s portfolio. The company Iprotex has been established in Germany since 1999. There are 6 factories located in 4 different continents, 2 sales offices. The company deals with the production of materials for the automotive industry, technical textiles and thermal insulation materials. Iprotex has recently been working on research and development of some new techniques for thermo-technical insulation of the automotive industry and also more recently, in 2019, a new agreement was established with the European Space Agency and NASA for the production of casing for satellite receivers of spacecraft.

The Turkish company Pürplast, which has 40 years of experience in the automotive industry and exports its products to 36 countries around the world, in February 2021, signed a state aid agreement for the realization of an investment in TIDZ Skopje 2. The realization of this investment started in 2019, and the preparation of the land on July 1, 2020 and for a period of 7.5 months, 75% of the construction of the facilities has been completed. The area of leased construction land for Pürplast is 26,000 m2, in the first phase 50% of the land has been used (Phase 2 is expected for 2025). It has a total of 12,000 m2 of closed area: administrative building on 2 floors with a total of 1,600 m2 and production hall, technical premises: a total of 10,400 m2. Purplast is one of the local partners of another foreign investor in the country, Van Hool, and its product portfolio is large and includes the production of interior parts (dashboard, covers, partitions, ceiling upholstery, handles, steering wheels), exterior of commercial vehicles (bumpers, front and rear grille, side panels, roof panels.), as well as the production of seats (passenger cars, city buses and trucks). The planned number of employees in the company is 300 people. At the beginning of October 2021 there are 4 employees.

The German company “GES GmbH” is a manufacturer of high quality and energy efficient LEDs. GES GmbH has been active in this field since the early days of LED development, investing in patents, certificates and its own production facilities for LED lighting. In January 2016, GES GmbH decided to expand its production in the Balkans, by opening a production plant and an administrative building on an area of 15,000 m² in Macedonia located in the Technological-Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1. The size of the investment is € 15 million, with 200 new jobs planned. At the beginning of October 2021, the number of employees in Macedonia is 1 person. The size of the plot on which the factory is spread is 19,255 m². Solar panels and LED lamps with state-of-the-art German technology are produced. The company’s primary market is the Middle East, Europe in a number of industries that can benefit from economical and environmentally friendly lighting. With a strong research and development team, excellent quality control and advanced production equipment, GES GmbH provides customers with reliable and high-quality products of world-renowned German quality.

The German company “Kostal” is a global leader in the offer of technologically advanced electronic, electromechanical and mechanical-electronic products for large industrial manufacturers. The company is present in 42 locations worldwide on 5 continents and has a staff of over 18,000 people. In December 2014, the company announced its plans to increase production capacity in Europe through its investment in Macedonia. According to the plan, the company started production in October 2016, as a brownfield investment located in the former EMO, in Ohrid in production plants of about 25,000 m². Customers of “Kostal” are world famous car brands such as BMW, Daimler, Porsche, Tesla, Rolls Royce, Bentley… At the beginning of October 2021, 1004 people were employed.

The American company “DURA Automotive Systems” is a global supplier of original components to the most renowned car manufacturers around the world. The Michigan-based company was founded in 1914 and employs more than 9,400 people in 14 countries around the world. DURA Automotive Systems designs and manufactures innovative highly integrated automotive components for leading vehicle manufacturers in the USA, Asia and Europe. In June, 2018, the company decided to expand its production by opening its factory in Macedonia, namely in TIDZ Skopje 2, which will cover an area of about 16,000 m2, and the size of the plot is 45,263 m². There are 3 factories on the plot for production of aluminum external parts, extrusions and frames. DURA AUTOMOTIVE DOOEL Ilinden has planned an investment of 18 million euros, and so far has achieved 15.7 million euros. The number of employees is expected to reach 500, and during October 2021 the number of employees is 70. DURA AUTOMOTIVE EXTRUCTIONS has so far realized 2.85 million euros out of a total of 20 million euros provided for the operation of the factory. This factory provides 200 employees places. DURA AUTOMOTIVE STRUCTURES is the last factory of Dura in TIDZ Skopje 2 with an investment of 20.5 million. euros out of a total of 48 million euros. At the beginning of October 2021, there are 503 employees, and the number is expected to reach 780.

The Russian company ASPECTUS PHARMA is an innovative, cooperative company with high integrity, which enables high quality production of drugs and establishes partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies to provide a wide range of products in the markets of Russia, the Balkans and the EU.

The factory is located in TIDZ Skopje 1 and started operating in 2011. The size of the plot is 25 040 m².

5 million euros are provided for the investment, and from the beginning until 2021, 4.3 million euros have been invested. The number of employees during October 2021 is 43.

The Macedonian-Dutch factory “Glass Flex”, which will produce tempered and laminated glass for export, is located in TIDZ Tetovo. The factory covers an area of 9,000 m² on a plot of 15,000 m². 3.88 million euros have been invested, and 5.7 million euros have been provided for the investment. In October 2021, the number of employees is 35 people, and an increase of up to 300 people is expected.

The Turkish company BANKLAR PLASTIK, which produces consumer packaging, is located in TIDZ Skopje 1. The factory is built on a plot of 14,458 m². € 7.2 million have been announced for the construction. Euros, and so far € 6.8 million have been reported. 300 jobs in several phases are planned.

The Canadian company MAGNA MIRRORS SOUTH-EAST EUROPE DOOEL, which produces mirrors and other technological products for the needs of the automotive industry, namely General Motors, Ford, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda and many other well-known brands, is located in Struga on a plot of 47 400 m². 20 million euros have been invested in the construction. During October 2021, there are 62 employees, and over 1000 are planned.

The Turkish company MEOTEK, which produces solar panels, is located in TIDZ Skopje 2. The factory is built on a plot with a size of 14 214 m². 3.3 million euros have been invested in the construction. 50 employments are foreseen.