The SITA newswire wrote at that time that the company’s investment in the new production line totalled €13.5 million and that the Slovak government provided investment stimuli worth €6.9 million. These included a €1.5 million subsidy for creating the new work positions, €2.3 million in tax relief between 2012 and 2014 and a €2.7 million subsidy to procure production assets. Embraco Slovakia is part of what is now a global corporation that was founded in 1974 in Joinville, Brazil. Norbert Brath, the director general of Embraco Slovakia was joined at the ceremonial launch of production by Prime Minister Iveta Radičová and told the media that the new compressor model manufactured at the plant is 15-20 percent more efficient than older models. Embraco plans to produce over 2 million of the new compressors each year for use in cooling systems. It also announced the hiring of an additional 300 people, increasing its labour force to 2,100, and said that another 160 people were expected to get jobs at subcontractors to the plant. Embraco started construction of its facility in Spišská Nová Ves in 1998 and began production in 1999. In 2011 Embraco Slovakia received the top prize in the Via Bona National Corporate Social Responsibility awards programme for its assistance to the local hospital. It also received honourable recognition for assistance given to its employees during flooding in the region in 2011.