Cramped in Belgium, Joskin will expand to Luxembourg
Joskin, manufacturer of agricultural machinery, intends to quickly launch a construction site, so that the factory can start its activities in the 4th quarter of 2023, ideally as early as October.
Hundreds of new jobs
Joskin, manufacturer of agricultural machinery, intends to quickly launch a construction site, so that the factory can start its activities in the 4th quarter of 2023, ideally as early as October.
The manufacture of agricultural machinery is the specialty of the Joskin group, a Belgian company established in the Liège region for many years. Since its foundation in 1968, the company quickly established itself as one of the leaders in the sector so much so that today, Joskin distributes its trailers for transporting and spreading farm products in more than 60 countries. on 5 continents.
Photos: Joskin
Photos: Joskin
Photos: Joskin
And to produce these famous machines, the group can thus count on factories in Belgium, possibly, but also in France, in Poland and especially soon in Luxembourg. The construction of a brand new site of 15,000m² on a 6ha site in Sanem is currently planned.
For Victor Joskin, CEO and founding sponsor of the group, it was more than necessary to increase production capacity. “The group must be able to produce more. It is not only a question of being able to supply more machines among the existing models, but also of foreseeing the place for the materials under development. The goal is to be able to serve an ever-increasing number of customers.”
No crisis in sight for the Belgian company therefore. “Our plant project in the south of the Grand Duchy is moreover the first of a series of similar projects which should lead the Joskin group to have dedicated manufacturing and assembly units capable of maximizing productivity by focusing on uniform structure models.”
Luxembourg, a financial choice?
As a financial center par excellence, Luxembourg is, to a lesser extent, also a place of choice for industry, in particular the steel industry. This is what particularly motivated the agricultural company to put down its suitcases in Luxembourg. And it’s certainly not for a tax reason, according to the CEO. “The corporate tax rate is a little higher in the Grand Duchy and the possible tax immunity during the first years is not within reach of a project like the one ready to be filed”, assures- he. “What counts for us is above all to produce machines to try to satisfy our ever-increasing clientele”.
A job 10 minutes by bus from Esch station should allow more than one welder, fitter, painter, etc.
Victor Joskin, CEO
And for this, a sufficiently spacious land as well as a workforce available in large numbers were sought. “The choice therefore fell on the former site of the Twinerg steam and gas power station, which had been dismantled and cleaned up under the supervision of the Luxembourg State. As far as employment is concerned, Luxembourg is an attractive country for foreign labour, as the employment statistics show. The rate of the employee’s personal expenses probably explains it: the level of the net salary compared to the gross salary is very favourable”.
In total, the future Luxembourg site will create around one hundred jobs. A godsend for the inhabitants of the North Lorraine basin. “A job 10 minutes by bus from Esch station should allow more than one welder, fitter, painter, etc., that the steel industry has left behind. And what applies to the inhabitants of Rédange, Longwy or Villerupt is undoubtedly also valid for those of Athus, Aubange or Messancy in Belgium”, rejoices Victor Joskin.
This is what the future Luxembourg site will apply to.
Credit: Joskin
This is what the future Luxembourg site will apply to.
Credit: Joskin
This is what the future Luxembourg site will apply to.
Credit: Joskin
The project that will see the light of day in the south of the country is designed for the assembly of large agricultural trailers with a monocoque body, that is to say welded from a single tenant. “We will start with tippers and then quickly launch manure spreaders as well,” explains Victor Joskin. “One or another complementary product could be added depending on the productivity rate achieved. Eventually, the plant is calibrated to reach a potential of five trailers per day. This may not seem like much, but you should know that for some competitors, such a figure is that of monthly or even annual production! By 2027, if the project takes off quickly, Joskin trailers made in Luxembourg should already be some 2,500 units traveling the countryside of the world.
It is this kind of large agricultural trailers that will soon be manufactured in Luxembourg.
Photo: Joskin
As things stand, the total cost of the project should avoid the 20 million euros for a first shovel in hoped for in January 2023 and a start of activities in October 2023. However, due to galloping inflation, particularly in the construction sector, one might be tempted to write that the budget will surely have to be revised upwards again. “The overall cost of this production unit is difficult to predict in these turbulent times, but it is important to emphasize that this is an investment and not an expense. In other words, this degree of uncertainty does not dampen our will to move forward”.
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