Shanghai Unison Aluminium Products is making significant strides in Bulgaria with a €35 million investment to construct a plant for aluminium automotive components near Plovdiv. This move, part of the company’s international expansion strategy, aims to supply the growing automotive industry, particularly with extruded aluminium products.
The facility, soon to break ground in the industrial zone near Radinovo, Maritsa municipality, spans nearly 13,000 square meters and will encompass both production and warehousing spaces. The plant’s establishment, facilitated by Syenit Holding in collaboration with the Thrace Economic Zone developers, is a testament to the project’s fruition despite the general skepticism surrounding large Chinese investments in Bulgaria, particularly in manufacturing.
Expected to create 150-200 jobs and launch within a year, this initiative not only strengthens Plovdiv’s industrial landscape but also highlights the region’s emerging role as a hub for solid mineral market maturity. The Plovdiv Municipality’s Business Development Unit has confirmed the investment’s scale, indicating the plant’s potential to bolster the local economy and job market.
Shanghai Unison’s engagement in Bulgaria, through Zies Europe—a company linked to the investor through a series of ownerships—showcases the firm’s commitment to expanding its footprint beyond China. The acquisition of land in Radinovo sets the stage for constructing a facility aimed at producing key components for electric vehicles, among other automotive parts. This strategic move is aligned with the company’s focus on catering to the burgeoning demand for electric vehicle components, serving high-profile clients like Tesla, GAC Group, NIO, and others.
Furthermore, Shanghai Unison’s venture into Bulgaria marks a pivotal step in its global expansion, paralleled by the establishment of ZS Automotive Components Mexico. This broader strategy underscores the company’s ambition to serve the European and North American markets, thereby reinforcing its position as a significant player in the international automotive components industry. 
