NPL: a stronger ally for the car industry
NPL, the iconic equipment supplier of French Ardennes, recently launched a new large-capacity press in order to develop its presence in new markets and form the basis of its industrial positioning.
Founded in 1852 in Gespunsart in French Ardennes, NPL (Ninin Plismy Lejay) has moved on from construction hardware to automotive industry outsourcing, specialising in cutting, sheet metal stamping, wire and tube work, parts machining and assembly, as well as cold heading. After separating from the Defta group, the Ardennes-based company was acquired in 2017 by the Louis Armand group, which helped to rapidly restore customer confidence. In 2019, the company won the Ardenne Métropole business takeover award.
Following a period of restructuring, NPL extended its areas of expertise with the acquisition of this latest-generation press, which will be used in particular for safety parts for one of the leading car equipment suppliers, BOSCH. The Ardennes-based company generated revenues of €28 million in 2019 in more than 25 countries around the world, mainly in the automotive sector. With over 130 employees, a surface area of 21,500 m², 28 presses of different tonnages and different types and nine robot welding cells, NPL is one of the biggest manufacturing sites in the Ardennes.
In the Grand Est region of France, manufacturing represents 20% of added value and 300,000 jobs, 20,000 of which are in French Ardennes. That is why it is so important to strengthen manufacturing businesses and step up their rate of transformation, particularly in terms of modernisation. The Grand Est Compétitivité regional aid scheme was launched with this in mind, and has enabled NPL to see through this major project with the support of Ardennes Développement agency.
By Ardennes Développement, the Ardennes economic development agency - ardennes-developpement.com