UCM Resita: the story of a collapsed colossus

Resita Car Construction Plant is a heavy machinery manufacturing company from Romania. Its history begins in 1771 when two furnaces and a forge were put into operation. Then the factories in Resita were established for the production and processing of metal.

In 1872, the Anina screw factory was built. Between 1954-1978 the plant expanded by building the platform of the hot sectors. The platform of the General Design Directorate was built between 1970-1972, at the exit from Resita, towards Caransebes.

Between 1975-1980, the Calnicel platform was built, in the northern end of Resita municipality.

At the beginning of the 21st century, its total surface covers 98 hectares, of which 68.7 ha are industrial platforms and the rest buildings and covered halls.

The plant has a common past with the Resita Iron and Steel Plant, from which it was separated in 1962.

Over time, the plant produced a wide range of products: steam locomotives, electric motors and generators, cranes, petroleum equipment, armaments, air compressors, steam turbines, reactors, diesel engines, hydraulic turbines, castings, forged parts, welded structures, etc.

Before 1989, the Resita Factory employed over 14,000 people. With the collapse of the economy, however, the decline of the colossus from Resita also begins. This fact was also „helped” by a faulty management that failed to make the plant profitable. The orders started to decrease, and the debts kept piling up.

At the end of 2003, the Resita Car Construction Plant was privatized

In 2013, according to the data provided by Ziarul Financiar, approximately 1,500 people were still working in the factory and other personnel restructurings were planned.

„Before ’89 we were making 20,000 horsepower marine engines. Now they are no longer made because they were made after the license. They were delivered to Navrom and other companies, but are there any ships in Romania now? The diesel engine factory is practically closed. We transferred and modernized the machines, we also brought people.

In the old days, metallurgical equipment was made. We were making motors from 5 kW to 10 MW for all metallurgy and all thermal power plants in Romania with direct current, alternating current, whatever you want. Everything went to waste”, says Stefan Verdet – UCM Resita production director.

Today, the locomotives produced at Resita have remained history. They are exhibited at the museum in the center of the city, which is based on only two factories, namely the producer of hydro aggregates and the TMK Resita steel plant.

In October of the current year, the Minister of Energy, Razvan Nicolescu, visited UCM Resita and stated that he has concrete plans for the plant, but did not give any deadline in this sense.

Until then, UCM Resita put up for sale, in August of the current year, 800 tons of old wires for fear of thieves. The administrator claims that the goods come from decommissioned installations.