Lenze has opened a factory that will produce servo drives and frequency inverters near Bèthune in northern France. Lenze has invested €2.5m in the plant which has been developed in collaboration with the Bèthune Chamber of Commerce.

Although the official opening took place last October, the plant`s first production line had been producing frequency inverters since May, eight months after the project was inaugurated. A second line now being installed will incorporate flexible assembly cells.

The new plant significantly increases the production capacity of Lenze`s drive systems operation, as well as reducing the risks of production disruptions at a single site.

• Lenze posted a 4% sales increase during the 2003/2004 financial year. Group sales increased by €15.7m to €447.8m, despite the difficult economic climate. Lenze`s chairman, Dr Erhard Tellbüscher, says that the company`s new generation of drive and automation technology, called L-force, is "laying the foundations for future growth".