Bergheim, Austria-based crane and lifting solutions manufacturer Palfinger has broken ground on a new production facility in Ormož, Slovenia, investing up to €70 million ($75m) to expand manufacturing capacity for crane and lifting equipment components across its European network.
The company marked the start of the project with an official groundbreaking ceremony on 9 September 2026, attended by members of Palfinger’s supervisory and executive boards alongside representatives of the Slovenian government and the local community, who planted trees at the site to mark the occasion. The facility is scheduled to become operational in 2028.
Building on three decades in Slovenia
Palfinger’s presence in Slovenia dates back to 1993, when the company opened its first manufacturing facility outside Austria in Maribor. The new Ormož site builds on that history.
“Sustainable growth requires continuous and smart investments in a high-performing global production and logistics network,” says Alexander Susanek, chief operating officer of Palfinger. “The new site in Ormož marks an important step in further developing our manufacturing footprint, improving operational efficiency, and creating additional value for our customers. Over the past three decades, we have built a strong foundation in Slovenia through our site in Maribor. With Ormož, we are expanding our presence in the region while strengthening our entire global network.”
Danijel Vrbnjak, mayor of the Municipality of Ormož, described the investment as “yet another extremely important milestone for the municipality. This investment represents [an] important building block in the municipality’s development. The project is in line with the municipality’s long-term development vision, which has already succeeded in attracting several high-profile investments in recent years. For this reason, the municipality itself helped prepare the necessary infrastructure. They will continue to invest in this area going forward, with the aim of strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new ones, to ensure further development of the municipality.”
Representatives of the Slovenian government, including Katja Koren, state secretary at the Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Sport, and Zdravko Počivalšek, state secretary in the cabinet of the prime minister, said the investment signalled trust in Slovenia and that it represented a driving force for the development of a strongly export-oriented country. They also praised the Municipality of Ormož and its mayor for their work, and said the government was committed to creating the conditions for Slovenia’s competitiveness and to supporting further phases of the investment.
A production hub covering assembly, coating and training
The new facility is being built in the Glinokop industrial zone in Ormož, on a site covering more than 18.5 hectares. Construction is already under way, with production scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2028.
Once completed, the site will comprise an assembly hall, a coating facility, a logistics hub designed to optimise supply chains, and a training centre dedicated to the development and qualification of apprentices, employees and service technicians. Ormož will expand Palfinger’s manufacturing capacity for components used across the company’s different product lines.
Part of Palfinger’s Strategy 2030+
The Ormož investment forms part of Palfinger’s Strategy 2030+, under which the company says it continues to optimise its global production footprint with a focus on efficiency, customer proximity and targeted investment in future growth markets. Together with Maribor and Palfinger’s other European production sites in Lengau, Austria, and Niš, Serbia, Ormož will become part of the company’s European manufacturing network.
Palfinger says the investment is a key pillar of that strategy, creating the foundation for future growth while increasing the resilience and competitiveness of its global operations.
Palfinger designs crane and lifting solutions and employs around 12,000 people across 30 international manufacturing sites, supported by a global distribution and service network. The company has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1999 and reported revenue of €2.34 billion in 2025.
More information is available at palfinger.com
