Sony Corp. will establish a new manufacturing site for LCD TV screens in Nitra, Slovakia, the company announced on Wednesday.

The company will invest $92million in the new factory, in view of the increasing demand for LCD TVs in Europe, according to a released statement. The factory will employ 3,800 people and have annual output capacity of three million sets under the Bravia brand.

Sony already operates two manufacturing sites for LCD TVs in Europe in Barcelona and Trnava, Slovakia. The facility in Trnava, which has been operational for 10 years, will close when the new factory is expected to open in September of 2007 when the new plant is complete.

Vlado Kalina, the head of the Slovak Electro-Technical Industry, said Sony would have no problem finding employees near Nitra, the Slovak Spectator news reported on Wednesday.

They will find plenty of available labour in the vicinity, and will benefit especially from the former employees of the Tesla Vrable [bankrupt electronics plant], Kalina said.

Sony