Photo: New ‘Caljan’ factory located in the former ‘Liepājas Metalurgs’ mechanical workshop

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The new workshop will be officially opened on Friday at 2 p.m.

The Latvian subsidiary of the Danish company “Caljan” has been operating in Latvia since 2006, 99.54% of its production, which is mostly telescopic conveyors for postal items, is exported, and last year 22.9 million euros were turnover, but 1 was paid in taxes. 36 million euros.

“The new factory premises will not only double our production capacity and increase exports and turnover, but also introduce innovative technologies, namely robotic welding, and take over this function from the parent company in Denmark,” explained Dradeika.

He also added that in the 14 years since the representatives of the Danish “Caljan” decided to open a production branch in Liepaja, more and more functions have been concentrated in the Latvian company.

“This has been a strategic decision in optimizing and diversifying the business, as our Danish colleagues have appreciated the professionalism of our people and the support and hospitality of the city of Liepaja and the Liepaja Special Economic Zone. sales and consultations up to the preparation of instructions for use and delivery of equipment, “said Gatis Dradeika.

According to the head of the Latvian company, the expansion of the production plant is quite natural, because due to the pandemic, the e-commerce segment continues to grow rapidly and, consequently, the demand for the equipment offered by Caljan is growing. Not for nothing, in addition to the new “Caljan” factory in Liepaja, the company’s sister in the United States will open its doors.

“The expansion of Caljan’s production facility means not only new jobs and investments in Liepaja, but also a significant contribution to the development of the Latvian economy. Such companies are cardinally important partners in the country’s overall move towards an innovative economy, because by investing in their company’s product and process innovations In the overall development of Latvia ‘s industry and economy, “said the Minister of Economics Jānis Vitenbergs.

Caljan’s customers include well-known and international brands such as Amazon, ebay, Zalando, FedEx, DHL, Hermes, Michelin, Adidas and others. “The first Caljan conveyor will also arrive at the company in Latvia, that is, at the DHL branch in Latvia,” added Dradeika.

The entrepreneur admits that although Covid-19 has created additional demand for Caljan’s products, the plant’s procurement department has to work under increased load all this time.

“Our goal is to ensure the continuity of production. Therefore, we take care of both the safety of employees and that we have all the necessary resources and raw materials in sufficient quantities and even in reserve. This is largely due to our sourcing staff. We must be ready for additional demand. “Currently, there is no indication that the boom in e-commerce will be short-lived. We have seen cases where merchants such as the United States refuse to develop a face-to-face retail network by investing in online sales channels instead,” says Dradeika.

Currently, the factory in Liepaja has 180 employees. According to Dradeika, although the necessary staff is basically recruited, highly qualified and talented engineers, mechanics and welders are still being sought.

Until now, SIA LSEZ “Caljan” worked in rented premises in Liepaja. The initial production capacity was 30 conveyors per month, currently about 110 conveyors are produced per month. With the new factory premises, the maximum capacity will be about 3,000 conveyors per year. The products are exported to European Union countries, United Kingdom, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, etc.

The new plant is located in the completely rebuilt former Liepāja Metalurgs Mechanical Workshop. Its total area is 13’000m², but the total investment of the project is about 11 million euros.

Caljan has existed as a company since 1963 and since its inception has aimed to support logistics and retail companies, as well as manufacturers, so that these companies can deliver their shipments safely and efficiently around the world. Today, Caljan is the industry’s leading brand in the market with steady and strong growth.

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