CERATIZIT: new production facilities in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is positioned as a bridge country, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Gabrovo, an industrial city at the heart of the country, is home to Plansee MW, CERATIZIT Bulgaria, and CB-CERATIZIT Europe headquarters.

The state-owned tool factory Bolshevik, established in 1949 and later renamed Instrument, faced challenges after the fall of the Eastern Bloc, leading to the closure of many Bulgarian factories in Gabrovo. However, in the late 1990s, there was a revival of interest in Gabrovo's industry. In 1996, Plansee Tizit acquired Instrument, which was later integrated into Tizit, now part of CERATIZIT. Plansee MW GmbH, a subsidiary of CERATIZIT Bulgaria, was established in 1998.

Currently, Plansee MW in Gabrovo has 155 employees producing rotating anodes for computer tomographs and components for various industries, including lighting, power electronics, transportation, and medical technology. CERATIZIT Bulgaria is evolving into a competence center for standard and custom-made products, employing over 600 people.

The Plansee Group is committed to the potential of the Gabrovo site and has initiated expansion and conversion measures, including the construction of a sustainable production facility for CERATIZIT Bulgaria. This initiative also involves the transformation of the neglected riverbank into a recreational area with green spaces, walkways, and benches, providing a pleasant environment overlooking the Jantra River and surrounding forests.

The well-being of the employees is a priority, with the buildings designed to make use of sunlight, river water, and waste heat for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, leading to a reduced CO2 footprint and economic benefits.

CERATIZIT Bulgaria supplies customized and standard cutting tools and hard material solutions for industries such as aerospace, electronics, power engineering, automotive, mechanical engineering, and medical. Plansee MW Gabrovo specializes in mechanical processing, surface treatment, and coating of components made of molybdenum and tungsten, which are used in the semiconductor, lighting, and medical industries.

Plansee MW is also modernizing its production areas with a new coating line, surface treatment line, and clean and final inspection rooms.