Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has opened up a new air conditioning development and production factory in western Manisa province.

The new production facility is Mitsubishi's first room air conditioner factory in Europe and it was built in the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone by local affiliate company Mitsubishi Electric Turkey Klima Sistemleri Üretim A.Ş.

The new facility will target an annual production of 500,000 sets, both for indoor and outdoor use, and will employ around 400 people by the end of March 2021.

The factory occupies an area of 60,000 square meters and has been established with a capital of approximately TL 382.5 million ($100.23 million).

In his speech at the opening, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Electric, Masaki Sakuyama said, "During this financial year, Mitsubishi Electric group plans to achieve net sales of TL 147 billion and an operating income of TL 10.8 billion. Our air conditioning and refrigeration business, which includes our Turkish factory, is part of our home appliances division and a very important segment for the whole Mitsubishi Electric group."

Sakuyama underscored his belief in the potential and strength of the Turkish market, saying, "Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has sales operations for air conditioning and refrigeration systems and factory automation systems in Turkey."

"We have also been successful in a multitude of other businesses such as elevators and escalators, transportation systems, power generators, transformer equipment and satellite systems," he added. "Now this new room air conditioner factory in Turkey, which we consider a priority market, has also become an important production base for Mitsubishi Electric."

He also stressed that the new factory will contribute to the friendship between Turkey and Japan.

Takeshi Sugiyama, the executive vice president and group president of the Living Environment & Digital Media Equipment Group of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, emphasized that Turkey and the surrounding European countries make up some of the most important markets for the company's air conditioning and refrigeration business. Sugiyama further stated that Mitsubishi Electric, which operates in 43 countries with more than 138,000 employees, will continue to invest in Turkey keeping with the company's corporate slogan "Changes for the Better."