Geislinger opens 1st factory in Korea

Geislinger’s first plant in Busan

By Kim Yoo-chul

Geislinger, an Austrian top-tier supplier of parts used in diesel engines, said Monday it has completed its first manufacturing plant in Busan.

The company invested a total of $10 million in the facility located in the Mieum Industrial District. The factory will go online from March 11.

``The new plant is part of our localization strategy for top clients in Korea. As we are able to manufacture couplings and dampers for large diesel and gas engines, our clients can save on logistics and supplementary costs,’’ said company spokeswoman Lee Mi-gyeong.

Major clients for Geislinger include Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Doosan Engine and STX Engine. Lee, however, declined to unveil the initial production capacity at the plant. The firm is headquartered in Hallwang, Salzburg.

``The new factory emphasizes the importance of the Korean market, especially in the international marine and power plant sector,’’ according to a statement. Geislinger established its first South Korean office in 2004.

The company is one of the leading companies in the field of torsion vibration dampers for heavy duty applications. It is an Austrian family-owned firm that was founded in 1958 by Leonhard Geislinger. Cornelius Geislinger is the current chief executive.

Specifically, the company produces torsion vibration dampers, torsion elastic, high-damping couplings, misalignment couplings, and torsion vibration monitoring systems for heavy duty applications in the marine, mining, oil and gas, rail, power generation and wind power sectors.