Mitsubishi Confident in Almere
Mayor of Almere Annemarie Jorritsma planted a tree to mark the opening of a new factory for Japan’s Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe BV (MCFE) on 8 May, praising the company’s courage in expanding.
“MCFE was named Almere Company of the Year 2008 with good reason,” said Mayor Jorritsma. “In a time that manufacturing activities are largely being relocated to low-wage countries, MCFE’s management has had the courage to expand the number of production lines. The Almere plant could not have been given a bigger compliment.”
Room for future growth
As well as 1725 m2 of new office space, the new facility – MCFE’s fifth in Almere - consists of a 5322-m2 hall that will be initially used by the marketing department but is structurally suitable as a production hall. Once the current recession is resolved, this is what MCFE plans to do with it.
Mayor Jorritsma also praised Mitsubishi’s creative response to the credit crisis: using the opportunity to re-assign and re-train employees and coming up with new ideas for improvement and change.
“That has led to a positive exchange between the various employees, to vitality and flow,” she said. “This approach is typical of the MCFE branch in Almere, to always look for opportunities to bring out the best in people, to enable them to grow and develop.”
Collaborative approach
The exploratory approach is also reflected in the collaborative projects in which MCFE participates, she said.
“Whether it concerns consultations of the cluster of engineering companies, the implementation of innovative ideas to generate an interest in technology among young people before they leave school or the internal professional development and training at the Company School: MCFE is involved.”
Cordial relations
Almere has cordial relations with the considerable number of Japanese companies in the city, she added. “We do our utmost to ensure they and their staff have a pleasant stay here.”
In this, the city is supported by its neighbouring municipalities and partners in amsterdam inbusiness, a delegation from which will travel to Japan at the end of May.
In June, Almere will co-sponsor a Sumo wrestling event in the Amsterdam Area – the first ever held outside Japan.
