Makó enters a new industrial era – the Chinese aluminum can factory starts operations

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 03. 28. 11:35

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A historic investment is underway in Makó: Benepack Hungary Kft., the domestic subsidiary of the Chinese company CPMC, has established an aluminum can factory in the city’s industrial park, which will be able to produce up to one billion products per year. The total value of the project exceeds 30 billion forints, and the official factory inauguration is planned for May 2025. The plant is one of the most significant Chinese manufacturing investments in the Southern Great Plain region – not only in terms of volume, but also because of its strategic location.

The Chinese owners – the Shanghai-based CPMC group – chose Makó primarily because of its geographical location on the banks of the Mureș River. From there, the factory can quickly and cost-effectively serve the Romanian and Serbian markets, which play a key role in the company’s expansion strategy in Eastern and Southern Europe. Infrastructure developments also supported the investment: the Hungarian government provided HUF 5.8 billion in support for the development of public utilities on the 10-hectare industrial site.

The main profile of the Makó factory is the production of aluminum packaging – primarily metal cans – for which there is a continuous demand from the international beverage industry. The largest customer will be Coca-Cola, which was already represented at the start of the investment and is expected to be present at the opening in May. The factory is currently undergoing a trial run, and full capacity is expected to be ramped up in the first half of 2025.

The plant will start production with 150 people at launch, but according to Benepack Hungary, the second and third development phases will be completed by the end of 2026 and the end of 2029, respectively – these will bring new jobs and capacity expansion. The long-term goal is for the factory to provide stable employment for 300–350 people in Makó and the surrounding area.

According to the city government of Makó, the investment is not only economically significant: the new jobs will strengthen the local community’s retention power and increase the attractiveness of the city. Mayor Éva Erzsébet Farkas described the investment as “the largest industrial project in the city’s history”, the positive effects of which are already being felt.