Zollner Elektronik AG on Wednesday announced the opening of a manufacturing and support services facility in Costa Rica.
The new operation of the German electronics giant will be the first in Latin America and will be located “in a free zone at the Metropolitan Area, that is yet to be defined,” the Foreign Trade Ministry confirmed.
The company will invest some $10 million in facilities and equipment for its two main operations in the country: engeneering services and electronic device manufacturing.
In a first stage the company will hire staff for the engineering, research and development center, set to open in mid-2014. The center will provide technical support for the company’s operation in California.
Next, the company will open an electronics component manufacturing plant that is scheduled to begin operations by the end of next year.
In total, the company expects to hire some 200 people over the next three years.
Gene Lindberg, CEO of Zollner Costa Rica, said, “there will be many job opportunities for Costa Ricans in various administrative, technical and manufacturing posts.”
Foreign Trade Minister Anabel González stressed that the selection of Costa Rica as a base location for Zollner “is a clear example of this administration efforts to diversify foreign direct investment sources.”
Those interested in applying for a job can find more information about the company’s services on their website: www.zollner.cr
Applications and résumés indicating experience and salary expectations can be sent by email to: jobs@zollner.cr
Gabriela Llobet, executive director of the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency, highlighted the company’s move by saying, “It is one of the top 15 global electronics manufacturing and engineering services companies, as well as the No. 1 in Germany.”
According to Foreign Trade Ministry data Costa Rica in 2012 attracted investments from 40 high-technology companies, and a third of them came from nontraditional markets such as Japan, Korea, India, Italy or Germany.
