Spanish portable generator hub for Atlas Copco

Company to establish new competence centre for development and production of portable generators

ATLAS Copco are to open a new competence centre in Europe for the development and production of generators. The new Atlas Copco Generator Competence Center will be located in Zaragoza, Spain, and will serve worldwide markets.

The centre will be housed at the 37,000 square meter facility of Gesan, the Spanish generator manufacturers who were acquired by Atlas Copco less than one year ago, and is scheduled to be in full operation by 2013.

It will incorporate the production of Atlas Copco’s entire QAS generator range, which is currently manufactured in Antwerp, Belgium, and act as a development hub for all Atlas Copco generator brands.

Until now, the Belgian plant had been acting as a competence centre for both generators and compressors but in the future will focus only on compressors. The QAX and QAC range of generators will, however, continue to be produced in Antwerp.

Geert Follens, president of Atlas Copco Portable Energy, said: ‘This is a major step in our efforts to optimize our generator expertise and production capability. We are especially pleased to be able to do this on the site of the Gesan factory, which is not only strategically well placed in the heart of Europe, but also has solid experience of producing high-quality generators.’

Alongside the QAS generator range, the Zaragoza plant will also be responsible for producing Gesan- and Chicago Pneumatic-branded generators. The facility is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and meets all of Atlas Copco’s quality and environmental standards.

The plan is subject to final approval by local authorities.