Magna International Inc is to open a new seating manufacturing facility in Taizhou, China, to supply the Geely-Volvo Car Group.

Construction is already underway in the Jiju District of Taizhou and is set to be completed by mid-2016. The announcement was made at an event for investors and analysts in downtown Toronto on March 9.

The 5,200-square-metre facility will produce complete seating systems for a small crossover utility vehicle, the first automobile to be produced from Volvo’s CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform. The new facility is expected to create up to 90 new jobs. 

“We are excited to bring our latest seating technologies to the China market and build a world-class just-in-time plant to serve our customer,” said Jim Chen, vice-president and managing director of Magna Seating in Asia. 

Taizhou marks the fifth manufacturing facility for Magna Seating and the 33rd overall for Magna in China, the world’s largest automotive market.  

“We are committed to delivering manufacturing excellence to our customers aligned with their needs and expectations in all regions of the world,” said Mike Bisson, president of Magna Seating.  “This new facility helps us support a new customer and expands our footprint in China, both of which are key to growing our global seating business.”