Spain - The company has opened a new plant in Matsusaka - it's first in Japan. Costing around €40m (US$46m), the facility will be used to make body-in-white components using hot stamping, and will initially supply Honda.

"Gestamp’s strategy is always to accompany our customers and we are proud to be here in Japan, as this proximity will allow us to better serve Japanese OEMs in an efficient, innovative and competitive market," said the company's executive chairman Francisco Riberas. "Gestamp wants to be present in Japan to support and co-develop the car of the future with our Japanese customers, adding value through our state-of-the-art technology, specially via hot stamping to reduce weight and increase safety, also in their home market as we are already doing all over the world."

The plant has a medium hot stamping line of 1,200 tons as well as laser cutting cells and shot blasting equipment. It will employ 60 workers by the end of 2018, but Gestamp says this number could grow with the addition of new projects in the future.

It has also recently opened a new plant in Four Ashes, its seventh in the UK. Boasting one of the largest hot stamping lines in the world, this plant will allow Gestamp to better serve several of its customers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Renault, Volvo Cars, Ford, BMW, Toyota and Honda. It will also be used to make aluminium parts in a transfer servo press, such as battery boxes for electrified vehicles.

Gestamp now operates in 22 different countries around the world, and has opened six new facilities in 2018 alone. AMS spoke to Riberas back in November 2017 about the factors that are contributing to the company's success.

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