Akrapovič, which has two plants, one in Ivančna Gorica near Ljubljana and one in Črnomelj in the south-east, said that it was striving to keep the number of redundancies to a minimum, however workforce cuts were needed due to the precarious situation in the market. The company hopes the situation will soon go back to normal.

The exhaust maker has been expanding its workforce in the past few years in the light of economic growth and good business results, but the coronavirus epidemic has put a stop to that, affecting the economy, particularly the car industry.

Akrapovič has not revealed how many workers it plans to let go, nor did it say when and in which sectors the redundancies will be made.

During the epidemic, the company pushed ahead at reduced production capacities amid numerous restrictions. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, the number of registered new vehicles in the EU dropped by some 76% in April compared to the same period in 2019 - the biggest drop since the organisation started gathering relevant data, pointed out Akrapovič.

The company's flagship product is motorcycle exhaust systems, while automotive sector accounts for 30% of its sales. Its main markets before the epidemic were Germany, France and Italy, with the company has been showing good results in the US and China as well. Less than 1% of its sales were made in Slovenia.

The exhaust maker employs more than 800 people in Črnomelj where rumour has it that the company plans to lay off hundred or more workers. Črnomelj Mayor Andrej Kavšek has told the STA that the town is not privy to the information on the redundancies.