Grand Opening: RAPA Automotive opens new production site in Changzhou, China
On September 3, 2024, RAPA Automotive celebrated the opening of its new production plant in the Jintan district of Changzhou city, Jiangsu province. Almost exactly one year after the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on September 27, 2023, the state-of-the-art production facility was officially put into operation.
State-of-the-art production facilities and R&D center
Covering an area of 13,000 square meters, the new plant will manufacture valve components and mechatronic systems for the Chinese automotive market. The site also includes a research and development center and a test laboratory focusing on new technologies and services.
Festive opening ceremony Around 140 guests, including high-ranking representatives from politics and business, shareholders, division managers, companies involved in the construction, financial partners and over 60 employees from China and Germany, took part in the festive ceremony. The opening speeches were given by Dr. Roman Pausch, Chairman and Managing Partner of the RAPA Group, and Dr. Zinan Wang, Managing Director of RAPA Automotive China.
Dr. Hans Peter Friedrich, former Vice President of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the Sino-German Parliamentary Group, congratulated the company on its successful investment via video. He emphasized the positive local conditions and underlined that the establishment of the RAPA plant in China makes an important contribution to German-Chinese friendship and cooperation.
Gu Wanfeng, Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Foreign Association, expressed his high appreciation and expectations for the establishment of RAPA in his speech.
Chairman Gu emphasized that Jiangsu Province will further intensify communication and cooperation with foreign companies to promote the high-quality development of the open economy so that RAPA can invest in Jiangsu, Changzhou and Jintan with confidence. Jintan will certainly be a fertile ground for RAPA’s growth.
Yang Jian, Standing Member of the Jintan Party Committee and Party Secretary of the Development Zone, emphasized in his speech that Jintan strives to become the strongest “partner” for enterprise development to support the long-term development of RAPA in China. At the same time, global resources will be utilized to attract more enterprises along the supply chain, especially from German-speaking countries, to invest in order to achieve win-win cooperation.
Andreas Hube, co-founder and deputy chairman of the board of China Brücke e.V., emphasized in his speech that RAPA’s decision to build a plant in Jiangsu underlines the successful German-Chinese partnership and the commitment of the RAPA Group. The German family-owned company enjoys a high reputation in the automotive and healthcare industries. The investment is an example of the combination of German engineering skills with the dynamics of the Chinese market. Dr. Wang Zinan, a member of China Brücke e.V., had made a significant contribution to the creation of a German-Chinese dialogue platform through his important contribution to the implementation of the RAPA project in Jintan, thus building a bridge of friendship.
The Senior Vice President of Vehicle Electrification of Li Auto, Liu Liguo, and the General Manager of Ningbo Yongjiu Magnetic Industry Group, He Ting, each delivered a speech to jointly congratulate the opening of RAPA China’s plant.
Emphasis on corporate strategy
In his speech, Dr. Roman Pausch emphasized: “RAPA has established close partnerships with local customers and suppliers. 100% of the products are supplied to Chinese car manufacturers. The new plant in Jintan is the heart of the business in China and will be an integral part of the company.”
Dr. Zinan Wang explained that the opening of the plant in China is an important milestone in the history of the RAPA Group and marks a decisive step in the company’s global development strategy. He was convinced that the RAPA Group, with its strengths in the field of electromagnetics and close cooperation with partners, would implement a long-term strategy for independent development in China and thus become deeply rooted in the Chinese market.
Tour and insight into production
After the inauguration, the guests were able to take a detailed tour of the ultra-modern production facilities. Around 50 people are currently employed at the site, and the number of employees is set to rise to around 120. The plan is to continuously expand production and increase from three to five production lines.
Global presence
Since its foundation in 1920, the RAPA Group has developed into a globally recognized industry leader with more than 70 years of experience in the development of solenoid valves and around 40 years of expertise in the automotive supply industry. With the opening of the plant in China, RAPA strengthens its global presence and opens up new spaces for the promotion of economic and technological cooperation between China and Germany. In the future, the RAPA Group will continue to cultivate the spirit of innovation, support the sustainable development of the Chinese automotive industry and write new chapters of Sino-German cooperation through strategic partnerships.
