“YIT Kausta” begins the second construction phase of “Hollister Incorporated” factory in Kaunas

Main structures of the future factory are already constructed in Kaunas district and the roofing has been started. Also, external engineering networks installation works and territory restoration works are under way. The new medical equipment factory “Hollister Incorporated” will cover 24 thousand square metres of land in total.

„Our continuous growth in Europe, which also accounts for the increase in sales, drives our need to expand our manufacturing capacity in the region. We decided to open a new manufacturing facility in Kaunas as we believe it will provide our company with the needed capacity to support this growth. We believe that Lithuania, and especially Kaunas, is strategically located for our clients and offers the right technical competences as well as a favourable investment climate. In addition, the support we received from local business leaders and governmental agencies in the selection process has given us the confidence to say that we have made the right decision for our customers, our associates and our company,' said, Bill Ciehanski, Senior Director for Global Manufacturing of Hollister Incorporated.

The execution of this project is of high importance to Kaunas region and the whole Lithuania, because it opens up new economic opportunities and shows other potential investors that there are all of the conditions for ensuring the infrastructure demands.

According to Kęstutis Vanagas, the general manager of “YIT Kausta”, the coming of the international investor of such level presents not only the growth potential of Kaunas region but it is also a kind of appreciation of the local specialists. He reveals that from the very beginning the Americans have been very clear about the standards they apply to construction works, used equipment, engineers, project management and other solutions, ensuring high quality and long-term operation of the factory.

“The client has a very broad approach towards their activity as well as their partners’; therefore, even before the project’s pre-selection stage they have consistently taken a close interest in our, as real estate developers, activity processes and specialists, they wanted to get to know the people who are going to work on the project and understand their attitude as well as make sure that our declared principles and standards meet the reality. The beginning of the second construction phase shows that we and “Hollister Incorporated” have the same approach. As general contractors of this project we are going to use all of our experience in order to continue working smoothly, and to get the final result meeting the client’s expectations”, – claims K. Vanagas.

The under-construction factory will have spacious storage areas, administrative and technical premises as well as manufacturing facilities. “Hollister Incorporated” will have invested approximately 50 million euros in total into the factory in Kaunas district in the period of a few years. When the factory starts production, approximately 300 new work positions for high qualification engineers, managers, technical specialists and other professionals will be created.

The decision of the international company “Hollister Incorporated” to build the new factory in Lithuania was highly influenced by the qualification of the local specialists and the existing opportunities to train new ones. For this, the company has expressed their intentions to collaborate with Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuanian University of Health Science and other local educational institutions. The company also plans to enhance its programs in research, engineering and technology in the country, in this way contributing to the training of qualified graduates and strengthening the local talent market.

As of today the company has already hired a few recent graduates of engineering. These graduates are soon to start working at another company’s plant in Ballina, Ireland. However, after gathering new skills and experience they will be transferred back to Kaunas to help us with the opening of the new plant.

“YIT Kausta” has executed a number of production facility construction projects in Lithuania. Among them, the construction of “Finnfoam” factories, the Metal Stamping Laboratory, VICI industrial buildings in Plungė, “Scania” manufacturing centres and other buildings. Ongoing construction projects of the company are industry and storage building in Kaunas FEZ, “Philip Morris Lietuva” storage premises in Klaipėda, and complex of buildings in Babtai village, Kaunas district.