Today, 29th of June 2018, Nitto Belgium announced an investment of 12 million euro in its production site in Genk, Belgium. The Japanese multinational manufactures a range of industrial adhesive tapes and sealing materials in Belgium which are exported globally. As of December 2019 a complete new state-of-the-art coating line will be added to manufacture surface protection tapes for the glass industry. At the same time, the company plans to scrap three old production machines which could have an impact on 25 fixed contracts. Nitto employs 670 employees at this moment.

High-tech glass has become an important material for modern buildings and skyscrapers. Hight-tech glass is not only an aesthetic building material, but offers extra functions like thermal management. Johan De Boeck, managing director: “The high-tech glass is upgraded with these functions via functional coatings, extra layers coated on top of the glass surface. These coatings have to be protected during the glass production process, preferrably with a surface protection film in one piece. At this moment, Nitto is the only manufacturer in the world that can offer such a product.”

The building industry has been requesting wider glass panels. That’s why the glass industry globally is evolving from a standard width of 2.6 metres to a new standard of 3.3 metres. Thanks to the investment of 12 million euro, Nitto will be ready to offer its unique product at 3.3 metres and further strengthen its position in the glass market.

“We are very proud that we were able to bring this investment to our plant in Belgium,” explains Johan De Boeck. “This confirms the trust of our Japanese management in our company as a production plant in Belgium.”

Together with the new investment, Nitto plans to scrap three old production machines. The market demand for the industrial tape products manufactured on these machines is gradually declining. Keeping these production machines operational would require substantial investments which are not in line with the remaining period in the life cycle of these products.

This morning, the management of Nitto Belgium announced their plans during a special works council. The management made clear that the above mentioned plans could have a negative impact on the employment at Nitto Belgium. “This is a difficult message, but it is our strong intention to limit the number of forced dismissals. We plan to stop the old production machines by the end of April 2019. This gives us enough time to sit around the table and look for solutions together with the employee representatives. However, the presented plan is an essential step in safeguarding the future of our plant in Belgium,” concludes Johan De Boeck.