Johnson Matthey’s Macedonian Factory Expects Turnover of 300 Mln Euro in 2011 – Fin Min

SKOPJE (Macedonia), March 10 (SeeNews) – The Macedonian factory of British specialty chemicals company Johnson Matthey expects a turnover of 300 million euro ($415 million) this year, Macedonia's Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said.

The factory's output in February reached a record high, a finance ministry statement on Wednesday quoted Stavreski as saying.

Stavreski noted that thanks to Johnson Matthey the structure of Macedonia's foreign trade is undergoing a change.

Looking at the structure of Macedonian imports and exports this year, crude oil and vehicles which used to be the main import items are replaced with platinum and platinum alloys which are used in the production of catalysts, Stavreski said, adding that catalysts produced mostly by Johnson Matthey were the country's top export product in January.

Johnson Matthey opened a factory for the production of emission control catalysts in the Bunardzik free industrial zone, near the capital of Skopje, in April, 2010.

It was the second tenant to launch a manufacturing unit in Bunardzik after U.S. Johnson Controls opened an electronic car parts plant there in 2007.

Johnson Matthey (www.matthey.com), which focuses on catalysts, precious metals, fine chemicals and process technology, has operations in over 30 countries worldwide.

($=0.7226 euro)

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