Elme Metall to start development of metal processing plant on the largest Klaipėda FEZ site this year

Elme Metall, a company belonging to the Estonian industrial holding BLRT Grupp, plans to start construction of a modern metalworking complex on a 7.6 ha plot in the Klaipėda Free Economic Zone (FEZ) this year. This will be the largest plot developed in the history of the FEZ.

After announcing a EUR 20 million investment project in the Klaipėda FEZ at the end of 2019, Elme Metall is steadily implementing it. Last year, the company completed a state-of-the-art complex for the storage and distribution of metal products. This year, it is planning to start the most important phase of the project – a EUR 17 million metal processing plant. Upon completion of the latter, Elme Metall will employ around 150 professionals in the Klaipėda FEZ buildings.

According to Algerd Andruškevitšus, an Elme Metall board member, the company is currently designing the production complex, which is expected to become the largest sheet and profile rolled metal processing plant in the Baltics.

“Upon completion of the last phase, our Klaipėda facility will be able to process around 50,000 tonnes of sheet and profile rolled metal per year. We plan to supply customers in shipbuilding, ship repair, equipment manufacturing and other sectors. The excellent location of Klaipėda will allow us to increase the efficiency of order fulfilment in our Baltic, Scandinavian, Polish, German, Dutch and other markets,” comments Mr Andruškevitšus.

He said that special attention is being paid to cleaner production and environmental technologies in the development of the plant. With the smooth progress of the preparatory processes, the actual construction of the complex is expected to start in the second half of this year.

Klaipėda and the Klaipėda FEZ were chosen by the company several years ago after evaluating a number of different locations, and the Lithuanian port city proved to be the most attractive due to its suitable infrastructure, excellent logistics and the constructive approach of the FEZ management company. The company also appreciated the competencies of the Klaipėda residents. The warehousing unit currently employs about 15 specialists, but once the plant is completed, it will provide jobs for about 150 employees.

According to Eimantas Kiudulas, the head of Klaipėda FEZ, the expansion of Elme Metall is exceptional because it will be carried out on the largest plot in the history of the FEZ. On the other hand, the company’s investment further strengthens the portfolio of higher value-added production. Furthermore, it illustrates the attractiveness of Klaipėda FEZ for various activities – not only production but also logistics, distribution, trade, etc.

“We are pleased that the company is consistently adhering to its plans and, thanks to the city authorities, smoothly implementing the preparatory processes. I hope that after the completion of the development, the story of Elme Metall will be another example of smooth and sustainable investment development in Klaipėda,” says Mr Kiudulas.

The Elme Metall group employs around 500 people in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland and Russia. Last year, the consolidated turnover of the Elme Metall group amounted to more than EUR 230 million.