Novo Mesto, 27 October (STA) - The Novo Mesto branch of the international car seat manufacturer Adient is set to be liquidated, a move that will affect approximately 100 employees. The closure follows the conclusion of a key manufacturing project with Renault and the non-renewal of the supply contract.
The parent company has confirmed the decision, saying that provisions will be made for the workforce.
The plant, which at its peak employed 300 people, is a key supplier for the Renault Clio model produced at the nearby Revoz factory. Renault is expected to cease production of the Clio in Novo Mesto next year, leading to the termination of Adient's seat manufacturing for the vehicle.
Claudia Steinhoff, Adient's communications director for Europe and Africa, confirmed that the closure is anticipated to be completed in the 2026 calendar year, aligning with the end of the Clio project. As Adient was not selected by Renault for future projects in Slovenia, this will mean the closure of the Novo Mesto plant, Steinhoff said.
She assured that the company is committed to managing the closure in a responsible and respectful manner.
According to Boško Bošković, a representative of the SKEI metal and electrical industry trade union at Adient, an agreement has been reached with the company's leadership, which ensures that the approximately 100 employees will receive statutory redundancy payments along with an additional compensation package. He described Adient as having been a reputable employer.
It is understood that the majority of the workforce will seek new employment, while some may opt for early retirement supported by the Employment Service.
There has been speculation about the possibility of the affected Adient workers being hired by Revoz, which is rumoured to be bringing seat production in-house for future projects.
However, Bošković noted that he had no official information on this matter. "There was some unofficial information that Revoz might be interested in Adient's workers, but the wish of the majority of employees was to go into liquidation and accept the redundancies," he explained.
