Portugal: Why did Leica decide to set up a factory there?

[eleskin]

I am fascinated by this question (aside from the fact that My Wife was born in Northern Portugal, and most of her family is still there, the people there being very friendly, the food being fantastic, the green hills, fresh air, etc,,) as to why Leica makes components for cameras etc,, in Portugal. It would be fascinating to hear some inside information, as well as from some who have toured the plant there near the city of Porto.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I would guess it's because the labor is cheaper. Seems the logical answer.

 

[kshapero]

Portugal has the lowest labor costs in Western Europe and they are on the Euro so no exchange rate.

 

[xayraa33]

Because Germans love the sound of another harsh sounding european language ! 😀

 

[SergioGuerra]

Because there are great photographers in Portugal 😀

 

[martin s]

Because Germans love the sound of another harsh sounding european language ! 😀

That actually made my day 😉

martin

 

[Vics]

Because Germans love the sound of another harsh sounding european language ! 😀

The language of the bossa nova sounds harsh?
Vic

 

[ddimaria]

The language of the bossa nova sounds harsh?
Vic

Bossa Nova is from Brazil. Brazilian Portugese sound different from Portugese.

 

[Rhodes]

Because Germans love the sound of another harsh sounding european language ! 😀

Since when?

Because there are great photographers in Portugal 😀

I rest my case!😉

 

[xayraa33]

Since when?




Since 1973, Leitz Portugal was founded with a factory in Vila Nova de Famalico, near Porto.

 

[raid]

So Leica cameras understand German, "Canadian English" and Portugese?

 

[Rhodes]

Since when?




Since 1973, Leitz Portugal was founded with a factory in Vila Nova de Famalico, near Porto.

No, I didn't mean that. I was reaffering to the Germans loving the sound of another harsh sounding european language!

 

[Roger Hicks]

There's not much 'precision engineering' done there (at least, not by Leica standards). More the 'heavy engineering' (again, by Leica standards).

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[eleskin]

I just saw a video from L Camera TV that had a tour of Leica Germany where they were showing the assembly of M7 camera. They said "this is what we get from Portugal".It looked like 75% of the camera with only the top missing. It seems much of that camera is made there, and the final assembly takes place in Germany, where all the fine tuning so to speak takes place. I wonder how much of the M8 is made in Portugal.

Anyone find photos of the plant in Portugal? I link to Google Earth would be cool to so we can see the plant from above to get an idea what it looks like.

 

[jaapv]

Portugal has the lowest labor costs in Western Europe and they are on the Euro so no exchange rate.

When the factory was set up there was not even the glimmer of an idea to create the Euro🙄

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I read somewhere that Leitz decision to transfer some camera assembly, particularly the then new Leica SL2, to the new factory in Portugal was partly to reduce labour costs but more importantly it was subsidised by the EU because it was rated as an EU development area.
All Leica SL's were produced and assembled in Germany and all SL2's other than the first prototypes were assembled in Portugal.

all true + preferential tax schemes + their headquarters had its seat at that time in Switzerland

 

[gpena]

I just saw a video from L Camera TV that had a tour of Leica Germany where they were showing the assembly of M7 camera. They said "this is what we get from Portugal".It looked like 75% of the camera with only the top missing. It seems much of that camera is made there, and the final assembly takes place in Germany, where all the fine tuning so to speak takes place. I wonder how much of the M8 is made in Portugal.

Anyone find photos of the plant in Portugal? I link to Google Earth would be cool to so we can see the plant from above to get an idea what it looks like.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.393985,-8.5147008&z=17&hl=pt&t=h

 

[mw_uio]

Accounting rules, labor and access to low material costs.

Mark
Quito, EC

 

[Pickett Wilson]

That's why Leicas are so cheap!

 

[capitalK]

That's why Leicas are so cheap!

LOL. that must be the reason.