Sonion sets up facility in Batangas, to hire workers

A multi-million dollar facility by a European firm involved in hearing instruments and advanced acoustics has been constructed in Batangas and is expected to hire 800 workers by next year.

Sonion, a global leader in design of advanced miniature components and solutions for hearing instruments and advanced acoustics, inaugurated on Wednesday its $22-million local facility in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas.

At present, Sonion Philippines employs 130 people.

Sonion Philippines director general Niels Ole Jeppesen said employees who will be hired by the end of 2014 would include product and process design engineers.

He also said total investment foreseen by end-2014 would be at $30 million or €23 million.

Sonion Philippines’ production will be exported.

Why Philippines?

Jeppesen said the Philippine site was preferred than other locations because of the generally high educational level of the workforce, reasonable infrastructure, competitive incentives for foreign investors and the support of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said the inauguration of the factory “is a good illustration of the strong and growing economic relationship between the EU and the Philippines.”

He noted that European companies are attracted by the skills and talents of Filipino workers.

Sonion

Globally, Sonion employs around 2,700 employees and has facilities in Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, US, China and Vietnam.

Construction of the 11.5-square meter factory started in early 2012. The installation and run-in of the first production line began in November 2012.  

An investment of $22 million has been made to set up the operations in Batangas.

Currently, there are already 289 EU firms registered with PEZA. — KBK, GMA News