— Lessons from Factory Construction Projects Across Europe

Introduction

Japan’s major general contractors—often referred to as the “Super General Contractors”—generally include the five companies Kajima, Obayashi, Shimizu, Taisei, and Takenaka. These firms undertake large-scale projects not only in Japan but also around the world, and factory construction linked to overseas manufacturing investments has become one of their key business areas.

Traditionally, Japanese manufacturers choose Japanese contractors overseas for several reasons:

Long-standing business relationships established in Japan
The ability to communicate in Japanese
Familiarity with Japanese approaches to quality, decision-making, and project management

However, looking at their track record in Europe reveals that Japanese contractors do not work exclusively with Japanese companies.

In fact, they have received numerous factory construction contracts from non-Japanese manufacturers from Korea, Germany, the United States, Switzerland, and other countries.

In other words, for non-Japanese companies, the value of Japanese general contractors lies not in Japanese-language communication but in their ability to reliably deliver complex manufacturing facilities and bring production projects online successfully.

This article examines:

The European factory construction track record of Japanese contractors
Why non-Japanese manufacturers choose Japanese contractors
What these examples reveal about business strategies in the European market

Major Japanese General Contractor Projects in Europe

Takenaka Corporation (Takenaka Europe)

Takenaka Corporation’s European arm, Takenaka Europe, has been active in Europe since 1973 and has completed over 1,500 projects in 13 countries.

The company has extensive experience in manufacturing facilities across sectors such as automotive, food production, and research facilities.

Its Hungarian subsidiary alone, established in 1994, employs over 80 staff, and since the early 2000s it has accumulated significant experience building automotive and automotive component production facilities.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech

Location: Nošovice, Czech Republic
Floor area: approx. 240,000 m²
Completion: 2008

This large-scale facility was built as Hyundai’s European manufacturing base.

Takenaka served as design-build contractor.

Mubea Poland Factory

Location: Ujazd, Poland
Floor area: 23,526 m²
Completion: 2016

This factory for German automotive component manufacturer Mubea later became a repeat project, with Takenaka also winning a major expansion contract in 2022.

ARYZTA Poland Food Production Factory

Location: Strzegom, Poland
Floor area: approx. 9,000 m²
Completion: 2022

A bakery production facility for the Swiss food company ARYZTA.

Takenaka handled the design and construction including hygienic factory design and temperature-controlled production areas, essential for food manufacturing.

Nexen Tire Europe Technical Center

Location: Kelkheim, Germany
Floor area: 6,742 m²
Completion: 2018

A European R&D center for Korean tire manufacturer Nexen.

The facility combines research laboratories with exhibition and office spaces.

Kajima Corporation (Kajima Europe / Kajima Poland)

Kajima has been operating in Europe since 1975, primarily in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Electrolux Poland Factory

Location: Oława, Poland
Floor area: 52,285 m²
Construction period: 2005–2006

A washing machine manufacturing plant for Swedish home appliance company Electrolux.

The project received first prize in a construction safety competition.

Parker Hannifin Poland Factory

Location: Siechnice, Poland
Floor area: 12,680 m²

A factory for U.S. hydraulic equipment manufacturer Parker Hannifin.

Kajima handled not only the building construction but also infrastructure for production equipment and material handling systems.

Gates Poland Factory

Location: Legnica, Poland
Floor area: 26,300 m²
Construction period: 2017–2018

A rubber hose production facility for U.S. automotive supplier Gates.

The project required upgrading infrastructure while keeping adjacent facilities operational, demanding sophisticated construction management.

Colgate-Palmolive Poland

Location: Świdnica, Poland

An expansion project for a toothpaste production line.

Kajima handled design, construction, and LEED Gold environmental certification compliance.

Why Non-Japanese Manufacturers Choose Japanese Contractors

Examining European projects reveals four key reasons why non-Japanese companies select Japanese general contractors.

1. Single Responsibility Through Design & Build

Japanese contractors often specialize in Design & Build delivery, integrating:

design
construction
production equipment installation

This approach enables:

shorter construction schedules
tighter cost control
clear accountability through a single contractor

2. Understanding Production Facilities, Not Just Buildings

A defining strength of Japanese contractors is their ability to design production-ready facilities, not simply buildings.

For example:

Food manufacturing facilities (ARYZTA)
Automotive component factories (Mubea)
Hydraulic and chemical manufacturing plants (Parker)

Their experience across multiple industries allows them to manage complex production requirements.

3. Combining European Regulations with Japanese Quality Standards

Factory construction in Europe requires compliance with:

environmental certification (e.g., LEED)
workplace safety regulations
EU industrial standards

Japanese contractors are able to integrate European regulatory expertise with Japanese-style quality management, delivering reliable project execution.

4. Strong Record of Repeat Projects

Many projects lead to follow-up contracts.

Examples include:

Mubea Poland: factory → later expansion project
NGK Ceramics Poland: factory → later solar power installation project (NGK is Japanese but illustrates the repeat-project pattern)

Repeat projects demonstrate predictability in schedule, quality, and cost.