A Spanish automotive supplier is closing its factory in western Slovakia after years of declining activity and mounting losses, in the latest blow to the country’s industrial sector.
Antolin, a global manufacturer of car interior components, said it would gradually wind down operations at its plant in the city of Trnava, where it has supplied parts to the nearby Stellantis automotive factory. About 50 workers are expected to lose their jobs, according to Slovak media reports.
The company said the decision formed part of a broader effort to reshape its production network in response to changing demand in the automotive industry.
“In the course of adapting our industrial footprint to customer demand and the evolving needs of the automotive sector, Antolin has decided to continue the gradual closure of its plant in Trnava,” said Martina Cisarova, the company’s HR manager.
The move adds to a growing list of factory closures in Slovakia, where several industrial businesses have shut down or scaled back operations in recent months. Among them are textile manufacturers Makyta in Puchov and Eterna in Banovce nad Bebravou, while other industrial sites have also ceased production.
The automotive sector – a key pillar of the Slovak economy – has also been affected. A plant operated by ZF in Detva recently closed with production transferred elsewhere, and Italian antenna maker Calearo withdrew from the Slovak market after shutting its factory in Komarno.
Industry representatives say manufacturers are facing a combination of pressures, including weaker demand in Europe, geopolitical tensions and rising production costs.
In the case of the Trnava site, however, the problems appear to have been building for years.
Employment at the factory has steadily declined. In 2018 it employed nearly 600 people, but as of 2024 the workforce had fallen to about 100. Only around 50 employees remain today.
Financial results show the plant struggled to remain profitable. In the years before the pandemic it reported annual losses of almost EUR 6 million despite generating revenues of roughly EUR 53 million.
Between 2018 and 2024 the operation turned a profit only once. In 2023 – after significant workforce reductions – the plant recorded a small profit of just under EUR 250,000 on turnover of about EUR 50 million.
Across the same period, cumulative losses reached roughly EUR 27 million.
Trade unions say broader changes in the automotive industry are also weighing on suppliers. Monika Benedekova, head of the KOVO metalworkers’ union, said that the sector was undergoing a major transformation driven by electrification, automation and shifting market demand.
According to Benedekova, some roles are disappearing as companies introduce more automated production or relocate investment elsewhere.
Despite the closure in Trnava, Antolin’s other operations in Slovakia appear to be performing more strongly. The company runs four additional plants near major carmaking hubs in Bratislava, Nitra and Zilina.
Those facilities, grouped under the business entity Grupo Antolin Bratislava, generated combined revenues of about EUR 155 million in 2024 and posted a profit of EUR 4.4 million – more than double the previous year. (The Slovak Spectator)