AN INNOVATIVE FUTURE

ON COVER
GRUPO ANTOLIN MAKES
MARKET DEBUT
PLANTS
WE STRENGTHEN OUR
PRESENCE IN USA
PROTAGONISTS
ANNUAL CONVENTION &
RECOGNITION CEREMONY 2013
INTERVIEW
RAMÓN GIL-CASARES
AMBASSADOR OF SPAIN TO THE USA
GRUPO ANTOLIN
Summer 2014 · nº 69
forma
AN INNOVATIVE FUTURE
GRUPO ANTOLIN MAKES MARKET DEBUT
STRENGTHENS ITS PRESENCE IN USA
PHOTO PLACE-IT: RESEARCH PROJECT - FLEXIBLE ORGANIC AND LARGE AREA ELECTRONIC
GRUPO ANTOLIN
IN FIRST PERSON
at May 31st 2014
25
120
Operating in
countries
plants
more than
technical commercial offices
employees
more than
25
14,400
ERNESTO ANTOLIN
Vice Chairman
ONE MORE STEP
8.696 employees
Territory Europe - South America
2.363 employees
Territory North America
3.357
employees
Territory Africa - Asia - Pacific
When on 13 March we completed the issuance of the 400 million euros
in bonds, the first thing I thought was: one more step. After several
months, countless meetings and a great deal of effort, Grupo Antolin
had shown itself capable of going a little further. With this operation we
had managed to diversify our sources of funding and guarantee the right
structure for our debt over the next few years. The success of this project
has once again shown how attractive our company is, and what a great
team of professionals we have working here.
In London, the investors recognized many of the aspects that have allowed us to reach this point, but what they valued most was the commitment of the management team and its long-term vision.
INFORMA is published by Grupo Antolin, a multinational at
the cutting edge of design and production of components for
car interiors for the automobile industry.
EDITORIAL OFFICE Grupo Antolin
Marketing Communication & Institutional Relations GA
Carretera Madrid-Irún, km. 244,8
E 09007 - BURGOS - SPAIN
Tel. +34 947 47 77 00
· [email protected]
w ww.g r u p o an t o l in . c o m
DESIGN Germán Delgado
· [email protected]
PHOTOS Grupo Antolin, Rafa Saiz, Miguel Jelliss and agencies.
PRINTED by Coiman
C/ Marqués de Portugalete, 16
E 28027 MADRID - SPAIN
Tel. 34 91 742 12 03
· [email protected]
This publication is available for employees on the
GA intranet and corporate website.
D. Legal: M-18595-2006
2 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Weeks later, during the opening of our new overhead systems plant in Kansas
City, the tenth in the United States, the Governor of Missouri and the Spanish
Ambassador asked me how we had managed to establish ourselves so firmly
and so quickly in such a competitive country. The answer I gave was the one
that any of us would have given: because we have managed to understand
our customers and they have shown their faith in us.
Over time I have come to realize that while this answer is good, there is
something missing. I have also remembered what I thought when the
roadshow finished. Which is our ability to always go that bit further. In
1994, when we opened our first factory in Illinois, nobody could imagine
that 20 years later we would have more than 2,000 employees in NAFTA.
In 2004 it was impossible to imagine that the main investment funds all
over the world would fight to have our debt at such a good price. Bit by
bit, we have convinced our customers and now the investors that we are
always ready to go that bit further to offer them the best solutions to the
challenges that they bring us each day.
These recent successes require us to keep our foot on the gas. There are
lots of people watching us now and we cannot disappoint them. The future is looking good for our company which over the next few months is
going to be involved in projects that will require us to give the best of ourselves, although I have no doubt that with the effort and cooperation of
everyone we will enter another golden age in our history. Grupo Antolin is
evidence of what can be achieved by going one step further. That has been
our calling card and it must always characterize us.▪
ON COVER
GRUPO ANTOLIN MAKES MARKET DEBUT
PROTAGONISTS
GA RECOGNITION CEREMONY 2013
page 4
page 17
PLANTS
GRUPO ANTOLIN STRENGTHENS
ITS PRESENCE IN USA
INTERVIEW
PABLO GARCÍA, REGIONAL DIRECTOR
FOR SOUTH AMERICA
page 8
page 20
THE PHOTO
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
7.45 h
INTERVIEW
MR. RAMÓN GIL-CASARES, AMBASSADOR
OF SPAIN TO THE USA
page 12
AWARD
LUIS VEGA GOICOLEA,
BEST FINANCIAL EXECUTIVE
page 26
page 34
17.00 h
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
TIMETABLE OF THE CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS
SPECIAL
GREEN PROGRAM 2014-2016
page 30
page 36
CORNER OF THE FUTURE
WHAT WILL THE CAR OF THE FUTURE BE LIKE?
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
page 56
AWARDS
GRUPO ANTOLIN RECOGNIZED BY FORD
WORLD EXCELLENCE AWARDS
page 40
IN BRIEF
AWARDS, VISITS,
TECHNOLOGICAL EXHIBITIONS...
page 46
ON COVER
GRUPO ANTOLIN MAKES
MARKET DEBUT
The company has successfully completes
the issuance of €400 million in bonds
4 INFORMA
grupoantolin
On March 13, 2014,
Grupo Antolin-Irausa, S.A.
announced that it had
satisfactorily completed
the issuance of debt for
the sum of €400 million,
maturing in 2021 and
with a coupon of 4.75%.
With this transaction,
the company has
diversified its funding
sources and reorganized
its liabilities for the
coming years.
This transaction, carried out through its subsidiary
Dutch B.V. and led by Deutsche Bank, was aimed
at qualified investors, mostly investment funds.
The bonds, which are be listed on the Luxembourg
market, were rated (BB-) by Standard & Poor’s and
(Ba3) by the agency Moody’s.
In parallel, Grupo Antolin agreed to sign
a new syndicated loan of €400 million in
which, under the leadership of Deutsche
Bank, most of the major Spanish banks
and some European banks participated.
The list is composed of Banco Popular,
Bankia, Bankinter, BBVA, BNP, Sabadell,
CaixaBank, Santander, Banca March
and Espírito Santo.
Grupo Antolin intends to use the funds
obtained to refinance part of its debt, including the repayment of the syndicated
bridge loan.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
5
Carlos García-Mendoza
José Manuel Temiño
Ernesto Antolin
Jesús Pascual
“The issuance of bonds, along with the
signing of the new syndicated loan,
will enable Grupo Antolin to extend
the maturity profile of its debt, and
at the same time take advantage of
the attractive current situation in
the capital markets” Luis Vega, Chief
Financial Officer of Grupo Antolin.
Luis Vega, Chief Financial
Officer of Grupo Antolin
Grupo Antolin closes its
transaction within 48 hours
On March 11, the road show, final step
of the Tizona project, officially began.
A delegation from Grupo Antolin went
to London for talks with institutional
investors and to explain the details of
the company and the purpose of this
transaction. The meetings were a success and in just over 48 hours they had
placed €400 million at 4.75%, the lowest
coupon achieved by a Spanish company
in high yield bonds.
Over that period of time the company
received purchase orders for more than
3,000 million, which allowed it to close
the operation in record time and also
6 INFORMA
grupoantolin
made the initially planned trips to Paris,
Frankfurt and Amsterdam unnecessary.
The investors were particularly appreciative of the company’s good rating, its
low leverage, the experience of its management team and it being a family company. They also highly appreciated its
extensive knowledge of the industry and
the long-term vision of its business plan.
José Manuel Temiño, CEO of Grupo Antolin, said, “This transaction has been a great
success in terms of both the price and the
time it has taken to executed it, demonstrating the interest of investors in our
company, as well as the magnificent team
that we have.” ▪
Issuance of €400 million in bonds
What is a bond?
A bond is a fixed income financial product, so at the time of
purchasing it you know the exact return you will obtain. In
the case of Grupo Antolin, the interest to be paid will be a
fixed annual coupon of 4.75%.
We believe these
transactions will allow us
They are issued in order to obtain liquidity to finance new
investments, renovate existing ones, etc.
to diversify the company’s
funding sources, to
Where is the Grupo Antolin bond listed?
reorganize its long-term
On the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
What is the rating of a bond?
liabilities and successfully
A bond rating is granted by a credit rating agency and reflects
the credit quality of the issuer and the likelihood that the issuer
will return the amount borrowed.
What rating does Grupo Antolin’s bond have?
The Grupo Antolin bond has a rating from two credit rating
agencies: Moody’s set a rating of Ba3 and it received a BBfrom Standard & Poor’s.
Who can invest in it?
For investments in these types of products, the restrictions
are established in each jurisdiction and country. In general,
bonds are reserved for qualified and institutional investors.
Who has bought our bonds?
Above all, large international investment funds.
What are the implications of trading in
the debt market?
We must fulfill the commitments we have made to the
investors. So, for example, each quarter we announce our
results and we explain them in a conference call. In
addition, there are a number of ratios, such as those
relating to debt and financial expenses, that we
must maintain.
How does this transaction fit with
the company’s strategy?
This transaction will allow the company
to diversify its funding sources, reorganize
its long-term liabilities and successfully
meet the growth plans in its strategic plan.
Grupo Antolin’s main objective is to continue
growing and strengthening its leading position
the market for the manufacturers of car interiors.
in
meet the growth plans set
out in its strategic plan
José Manuel Temiño
CEO of Grupo Antolin
PLANTS
Grupo Antolin strengthens its presence in the
UNITED STATES
On its twentieth anniversary in the country, the company has just
opened its new center in Kansas City (Missouri)
From left to right: the Spanish Ambassador to the United States, Ramón Gil-Casares; the Mayor of Kansas, Sly James; Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon; Vice Chairman of Grupo Antolin, Ernesto
On May 21, in Kansas City (Missouri), Grupo
Antolin opened a new factory in the United
States, which increases its presence in what is
a key market for the company. The new center
will manufacture headliners for Ford and in the
future is expected to also supply General Motors.
This is a strategic positioning in an increasingly
important market for the automotive industry
in the country. In fact, in 2016 all the vehicles
produced in Missouri will include headliners
manufactured at this plant.
8 INFORMA
grupoantolin
This market
already accounts for almost
a third
2,600
of the Company’s turnover and there are
employees working there
GRUPO ANTOLIN
in USA
Year
1994
GA-NORTH AMERICA, Inc.
AUBURN HILLS, MI
Technical-Commercial Office
Year
1996
GA-KENTUCKY, Inc.
HOPKINSVILLE - KY
Manufacturing:Overheads
Year
1998
GA-WAYNE, LLC
CANTON TOWNSHIP, MI
JIT: Overheads
Year
2003
GA-MICHIGAN, Inc.
MARLETTE - MI
Manufacturing:Overheads
Year
2005
GA-ILLINOIS, Inc.
BELVIDERE, IL
JIT: Doors
Year
o Antolín & NAFTA Director of Grupo Antolin, Max Rogers.
2007
GA-MICHIGAN, Inc
(Warren)
GRUPO ANTOLIN-MICHIGAN, Inc.
GRUPO ANTOLIN-WAYNE, LLC
GRUPO ANTOLIN-ILLINOIS, Inc.
GRUPO ANTOLIN-MICHIGAN, Inc (Warren)
GRUPO ANTOLIN-NORTH AMERICA, Inc.
2013
GA-MISSOURI, LLC
GRUPO ANTOLIN-MISSOURI, LLC
JIT: GA-KENTUCKY, Inc.
GRUPO ANTOLIN-KENTUCKY, Inc.
JIT: GA-KENTUCKY, Inc.
JIT: Shreveport, LA
WARREN, MI
JIT: Overheads
Year
1
CLAYCOMO-KANSAS CITY, MO
Manufacturing, Assembly &
Sequencing: Overheads
JIT
3
in every
overhead systems
in USA is made by
Grupo Antolin
COTTONDALE, AL
LOUISVILLE, KY
SHREVEPORT, LA
grupoantolin
INFORMA
9
Ernesto Antolin, Vice Chairman
of Grupo Antolin, said: “The
opening of this new center
represents an important
milestone for the company’s
strategy in what is a very
important country for us”
We are very proud
to welcome Grupo
Antolin and its new
latest generation
production plant.
This significant
investment, as well
as the jobs created,
contribute to the
recovery of the
automotive industry
in America, in which
Missouri continues
to play an important
role given its highly
qualified employees,
low energy costs and
its firm commitment
to this industry
Jay Nixon
Governor of Missouri
The Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon; the
Mayor of Kansas, Sly James, and the Spanish
Ambassador to the United States, Ramón
Gil-Casares, joined the company’s Vice
Chairman, Ernesto Antolín, in the traditional
ribbon cutting ceremony.
Grupo Antolin has invested around €12
million ($15.7 million) in a factory that
10 INFORMA
grupoantolin
will produce around 4,000 headliners
every day. The center will have the latest
technology in manufacturing overhead
systems and will employ 118 people, although this figure may increase in the
future. Governor Nixon has emphasized
the importance of this opening, since it
shows the attractiveness of this area to
the automotive industry.
The Spanish Ambassador Gil-Casares said that “it is an honor
for Spain to have such a successful company as Grupo Antolin,
which is number 1 in the very competitive automobile market
and has triumphed in its sector in the USA, a leading country for
automobile production. The opening of its tenth factory in the
USA, in Kansas City, is a sign of its potential and its commitment
to this important market.”
Significant presence in the
United States
The opening of this new plant is especially
relevant as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the arrival of Grupo Antolin in
this country, where it now has 10 centers
managed from the headquarters in Detroit. Over this period, the business has
grown and now accounts for almost 30%
of the company’s turnover. It also has a
workforce of around 2,600 employees.
Furthermore, one in three cars in the
United States has components made by
Grupo Antolin, which gives it a significant
market share and this is a very important
step towards leading the global market.
“It is an honor to present these figures in
the home of the automobile. However,
we believe that we still have a long road
ahead,” said Ernesto Antolin. The Group
considers this country as a key market
in its future development and will therefore devote resources to growing and
strengthening other business units such
as seats or lighting.
These figures make Grupo Antolin one of
the major Spanish companies in the United
States. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
11
INTERVIEW
Mr. Ramón Gil-Casares Satrústegui
Ambassador of Spain to the USA
The quality of Spanish
companies in different
sectors has shown itself
to be reliable in the
American market. In
the USA we have many
examples and one of
them is Grupo Antolin,
which is experiencing
great success and
expansion.
On April 13, 2012 he was appointed
Ambassador of Spain to the United
States. What have been your
priorities during this time?
The recovery of financial confidence in
Spain and the promotion of Spanish companies in the USA. Both objectives are being met. The first thanks to the economic,
labor and financial reforms and measures
introduced by the Government which
have restored Spain’s financial strength
in the markets. The rating agencies have
started to look positively at Spain again
and therefore, as everyone knows, the
risk premium and interest rates on Spanish bonds have fallen to very competitive
levels. The Minister of Economy, Luis De
Guindos, has travelled to the USA on
many occasions to talk to national and
international financial investors and institutions about the Spanish recovery.
As for Spanish investment in the USA, I
can assure you that it is increasing due to
12 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Grupo Antolin strengthens its presence in the United States
widely praised in the USA. The economic
crisis has affected our image but it is recovering again. The new macroeconomic
figures have generated an increase in US
investment in Spain over the last year
and a half due to increased confidence
in our country and the new economic
opportunities that have been produced
over the last two years. In sectors where
Spanish companies are investing or operating in the USA there is recognition of
their quality and professionalism. Examples include the infrastructure, renewable energy, banking, biotechnology,
manufacturing, and automotive sectors.
What opportunities does the USA
offer Spanish companies?
the internationalization of Spanish companies and the search for new markets
that diversify the volume of business. Recently I went to the opening of the group’s
tenth company in Kansas City (Missouri)
which manufactures overhead systems
for the Ford brand and I was really impressed by the strength and technology
of Grupo Antolin in a market as competitive as the one in America, the birthplace
of the automobile. I should mention that
Spanish companies in the USA are now
directly employing over 70,000 people.
All this demonstrates that we are able to
successfully deal with the most competitive markets.
What image do people in the USA
really have of Spain? Why do you
think that is?
Spain has a good image, on which it
has been working for the past 30 years.
Spain’s democratic transformation and
its economic development have been
Many Americans have
travelled to Spain and so
they know our country and have a positive
image of it. Spain has
an attractive image for
the average American
as a tourist and cultural
destination and they
especially appreciate
our hospitality
The United States is, after the European
Union, the world’s largest market. It has
recovered well from the crisis of recent
years and the prospects for growth are
good. The opportunities for Spanish companies are extraordinary and this has been
demonstrated through the significant increase in investment over recent years,
which has grown to over 50,000 million
dollars. Consumer sectors such as food,
textiles and tiles still have a long way to
go as competition from producers around
the world is very intense. Moreover, there
are many opportunities linked to investment in transport, water and energy infrastructures. The Grupo Antolin example
shows that Spanish companies are competitive enough to succeed in this market.
What impact did the economic crisis
have on the USA and what measures
have been taken to move forward?
The crisis caused a sharp decline in GDP
and the loss of an estimated 8 million
jobs. The unemployment rate reached
10%, which by the standards of this
country is very high. However, the reaction of the economic authorities, after
grupoantolin
INFORMA
13
some initial hesitation, was convincing.
While a fiscal stimulus package and a
program to inject capital into the banking system were approved, it may be that
the most important role in responding to
the crisis was played by the Federal Reserve. The United States was lucky that
the President of its central bank was a
great scholar of the Great Depression
and knew that it was necessary to innovate and introduce new instruments
to reduce uncertainty and stabilize the
financial system. Monetary policy has
proved a powerful tool for the economy
throughout this turbulent period.
If at any time there
was concern in the
USA about the Spanish
economy and the crisis
in the Euro zone, we can
say that today it has
disappeared
In economic terms, is Spain now
more trustworthy for the USA?
Yes, without a doubt. It was not a question of reliability but overcoming a situation of instability that compromised the
normal operation of the economy and the
financial system. The efforts of the public
and the strong policies of the government
have succeeded in restoring stability and
reducing imbalances. The decline in the
14 INFORMA
grupoantolin
From left to right: Mª Jesús Fernandez,
ICEX - Director of the Economic and
Commercial Office of the Spanish
Embassy in Chicago, Ramón GilCasares, Ambassador of Spain to the
USA and Ernesto Antolin, Vice Chairman
of Grupo Antolin.
risk premium and the improvement in
financial conditions were an important
sign of progress. However, what matters
is that the economy is growing again and
is even creating employment.
What work is being done by Spanish
authorities and companies to sell
the Spain Brand in the USA?
Spanish companies make an impact on
the USA because the companies operating here are successful and highly
skilled. We at the Embassy support
Spanish companies with everything
they need for their dealings with the
American authorities and society in
general. Furthermore, the plan for the
Spanish brand has the USA as one of its
priorities. Every year we hold a SpainUSA civil forum where businesses, society and governmental organizations
meet to re-launch cooperation between the two countries and improve
our relationship with new projects.
There is much talk of a certain revitalization of the industrial sector in the
Interview to Mr. Ramón Gil-Casares Satrústegui, Ambassador of Spain to the USA
United States after years of constant
loss of importance in terms of the proportion of GDP and employment.
The Federal Administration and State Administrations are working very actively
to facilitate investment in the industrial
sector. The strong growth in hydrocarbon
production resulting from exploiting the
shale gas and non-conventional oil deposits may improve the attractiveness of
investing in manufacturing.
What is the ideal relationship
between companies and embassies
or other government officials
in the country when it comes to
international business?
In the real world there are no ideal relationships. However, there does need to
be good communication between the
companies, embassies and the network
of Spanish economic and trade offices.
We in the government can offer information, services and the ability to solve some
problems. However, our job is easier if we
know in detail the company’s plans and
strengths.
Do you think that economic
diplomacy is an increasingly
important issue for countries and
their companies?
Spanish diplomacy has spent many
years working on economic issues. An
increasing effort is made by all state
institutions to support and promote
Spanish companies abroad. The embassies, and in particular their economic
and trade offices, are working each day
to support Spanish companies. In the
USA there are trade offices in the Spanish consulates in Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico and in
the Spanish Embassy in Washington.
We live in an increasingly integrated
world and the overseas activity of Spanish companies is vital for the country’s
economy and the interests of Spain.
What we have seen clearly during this
crisis is that both exports and overseas
investment have played an essential role
in offsetting the weakness of domestic
demand.
The Spanish
Embassy in the USA
I also want to mention here the work
of the Spain – USA Council Foundation
which organizes an annual forum held
alternately in Spain and the United
States, which brings together leading
figures from both countries and members of the Spain – USA Council Foundation to address the priority issues
on their agendas. The most important
of these include business and financial
promotion, as well as the analysis of
certain economic sectors such as infrastructure, technology and energy. The
triangular relationship between Spain,
the USA and Latin America is also debated each year. The last forum was
held last year in Santa Barbara, California, and was opened by the Prince of
Asturias. The next forum will be held in
Malaga in September. The Spanish Embassy in the USA and the US Embassy in
Spain are actively involved in organizing these forums. ▪
Spanish investment
is highly diversified,
being very powerful in
the financial, energy,
infrastructure and
biotechnology sectors.
There are various
Spanish companies
supplying the
automotive industry
that have a presence
in the United States,
taking advantage of
the experience and
knowledge gained
from their business
operations in Spain
grupoantolin
INFORMA
15
ANNUAL CONVENTION
GRUPO ANTOLIN CONVENTION
The 2013 Annual Convention was held on 18 February
2014 in the Grupo Antolin headquarters in Burgos, and
was attended by the company’s leading executives.
Grupo Antolin ended 2013 with good
results. The diversity of its products,
customers and geographic locations,
as well as the efforts made to improve competitiveness, have allowed the
Group to increase its earnings (EBIT) in
2013 to €136.1 million, 17.5% higher than
in the previous year.
Consolidated sales rose by 2% in 2013
to €2,128 million, while the figure for
combined turnover also rose to €2,729
million.
Asia and NAFTA were the drivers behind
the Group’s growth with significant increases in sales, while Europe and Mercosur saw a fall in turnover.
FUTURE
Grupo Antolin will continue working on its
expansion in high growth markets, as well
as on analyzing the opportunities for inorganic growth that allow it to strengthen
and consolidate its current advantageous
and differentiated competitive position. ▪
José Manuel Temiño, CEO of Grupo Antolin, began his presentation with a reference to the most
noteworthy events and results of the company in 2013 in an address that also recognized individual
and team activities at the company’s 120+ centers.
16 INFORMA
grupoantolin
PROTAGONISTS
RECOGNITION
CEREMONY
GRUPO ANTOLIN 2013
AWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS
1
st
Grupo Antolin-PGA
Pablo Álvarez Vila
Proposal: “Modification in the die support
window regulators motor”
Ernesto Antolín presented the award
2
nd
Grupo Antolin-VIGO
Francisco Javier
Treinta Rodríguez
Proposal: “Reduction in the time taken to
assemble seats”
Jesús Pascual presented the award
grupoantolin
INFORMA
17
AWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS
3nd
Grupo Antolin-TURNOV
Tomáš Oplt
Proposal: “Improving the process of
covering armrests”
“BEST PRACTICE 2013” AWARD
Grupo Antolin-OSTRAVA
It was collected by the manager of
GA-Ostrava, Christian Schroeder
“Managing the MATT importing process”
Ernesto Antolín presented the award
Javier Blanco presented the award
1
st
GROUP AWARDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS
Grupo Antolin-MAGNESIO
Demetrio Cao Fernández (leader), Carlos Herrero Fuente,
Maria Raquel Arroyo Varona, José Arranz Grijalvo,
Jesús Barbero Martín, Pablo Lerones Gorbea, Diego Val Andrés
Proposal: “Utilization and optimization of foundry scrap”
José Manuel Temiño presented the award
18 INFORMA
grupoantolin
2nd
“BEST COMPANY 2013” AWARD
Grupo Antolin-PGA
It was collected by the manager of
GA-PGA, Juan Gómez
Grupo Antolin-ARA/Grupo Antolin-ALAVA
Gabriela Gastañares Zabaleta (leader)
Vicente Poza Ruiz, Javier García Álvaro,
Elisa López de Lacalle Jiménez
Proposal: “Improved management of
spare parts in seat projects”
Miguel Ángel Vicente presented the award
3nd
José Antolín presented the award
Grupo Antolin-IGA
Frédéric Musu (leader), Mickael Léonardis,
Yannick Alexandre, Christophe Le Gall,
Frédéric Vignon
Proposal: “Optimization of BOM
in the headliner sandwich”
Luis Vega presented the award
grupoantolin
INFORMA
19
INTERVIEW
PERSONAL
TOUCH
Where were you born?
PABLO
GARCÍA
REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR SOUTH AMERICA
I was born in Pontevedra,
Galicia.
What did you study?
I have a degree in
Chemistry. I studied at the
Universities of Santiago de
Compostela, Sheffield (UK)
and Coimbra (Portugal).
A lesson that the business world has taught
you.
The business world has
taught me that not
everything is as it seems.
Sometimes we assume
that things should work in
the same way regardless
of the location/country we
are in. I have learned over
time that we must adapt
to the environment.
Any advice for young
people.
“It is better to have lots of
little things than a few big
things”. When people lack
years of experience (and I
am one of them) we tend
not to measure things
well. The anxiety to reach
the future of our dreams
can lead us to make
serious mistakes.
20 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Pablo García shares his impressions and experiences
To young people I would
say do not stop dreaming
about the future, but focus
on the present, trying to
improve a little every day.
In depth
What do you value most
in a colleague?
How did you arrive at Grupo
Antolin? Were you given much time
to settle in to your new position?
Honesty. That is
something we should
bring from home.
Man is naturally good
(Rousseau) or man is a
wolf to man (Hobbes)?
Like the good Galician I
am, I would answer the
question by saying “it
depends.”
I would like to think that
we are all naturally good,
but it is undeniable that
conflict and disputes
are present in our daily
lives. Hence the need
for rules and laws that
can sometimes limit our
freedom. Is this the fault
of civilization? Perhaps.
A book and a film that
you would recommend
to your colleagues?
The Truce (by Mario
Benedetti) and The Sea
Inside (by Alejandro
Amenábar, starring Javier
Bardem).
A phrase or quote that
reflects your philosophy
of life?
Never, never, never give
up! (Winston Churchill).
I joined Grupo Antolin in July 2013. At that
time I was living and working in Brazil,
specifically in the city of Curitiba. Three
years ago I decided to go and live in Brazil for merely personal reasons, since my
wife is Brazilian. Now I could not be happier, living here and working for a Spanish
company that is a global leader in the automotive sector.
Everything has happened very fast since
joining the company. I feel like I have been
working at Grupo Antolin for years.
Grupo Antolin’s operations in Brazil
began in 1996, the date on which
TRIMTEC, INTERTRIM (Caçapava) and
IRAMEC (Taubaté) were created. At
present, how many production and
logistics centers are there? How
many people work at the plants?
We still have the same three factories. In
2012, INTERTRIM opened a new production center in Taubaté to manufacture
sunvisors. We also have logistics and assembly centers in Bahía (Ford), Taubaté
(VW), São Bernardo do Campo (VW) and
Curitiba (VW).
Currently we have 892 people working for
us in Brazil.
I should mention that Grupo Antolin
is also present in Argentina, through
IRAUTO (Joint-venture with a local partner), with a production plant for overhead systems.
The main activity in the country
focuses on the production of
overhead system components
(overhead systems, ceiling trims,
struts, etc.) and door components
(door panels, window regulators).
Which are the most important
projects?
I would highlight the Hyundai HB20, the
Ford EcoSport and the VW Gol. All of them
are vehicles with strong sales. In the case
of the Gol and the HB20, they are cars
specifically for the South American market. Both the design and the performance
have been adapted to local tastes and
needs.
What customers do you work for?
What launches have stood out in 2013?
We manufacture parts for all the car assemblers established in South America.
We are proud to say that about 60% of the
vehicles manufactured in Brazil carry a
product manufactured by Grupo Antolin.
Our main customers are Ford, GM and
VW. In 2013 and in early 2014 we have seen
quite a few launches, but those most
worth noting are the VW Up!, Chevrolet
S-10 and Blazer, Ford Focus (Argentina),
Honda Fit and Toyota Corolla.
The presence of Grupo Antolin
in many countries creates a
competitive advantage in terms of
having the capital to undertake
projects at a global level. South
America accounts for 6.1% of the
Group’s total sales. Do you think
this percentage will increase over
the coming years?
This percentage unfortunately, will be
lower this year. We are going through a
stage of readjusting and reorganizing our
operations. However, the outlook for the
coming years is for growth, accompanied
by the increased volumes forecast by our
customers. There is no doubt that we will
be ready to represent a higher percentage
of the Group’s sales over the coming years.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
21
Interview to REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR SOUTH AMERICA, Pablo García
What is the role in the automotive industry of the
so-called BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa?
The BRICS have a combined population of around three
billion people and already represent approximately 20% of
global GDP. Instead of talking about the future we need
to talk about the present. In the case of Brazil, car sales
have risen from 1.4 million units in 2003 to more than 3.5
million in 2013.
In 2013 the results of Grupo Antolin
in Mercosur and Europe have
worsened due to the weakness of
local consumption and increased
production costs. What do you make
of these figures? What measures are
going to be taken to become more
competitive?
There are various reasons for us achieving
worse results than expected. Local consumption was extremely volatile last year,
with very sharp increases and decreases in
production and we were unable to adapt
ourselves efficiently to these oscillations.
Brazil’s currency, the real, devalued sharply
against the euro and the dollar, causing our
production costs to shoot up, with no possibility of controlling them in the short term.
To improve our competitiveness we are
making important changes in several
areas. Grupo Antolin has intensified its
investment in the country in order to
bring the resources and facilities up to
the standards of the Group’s most efficient factories. An expert team of people
from head office has been helping us for
a few months to quickly implement all
the necessary improvements. We have
also received support from the company’s
more experienced directors, and thanks
to them things which seemed impossible
to solve have turned out to be simple.
“I am optimistic when
thinking about the
future. However, that
will not stop us from
being cautious. We
will progress step
by step, or “game
by game” as Cholo
Simeone would say”
22 INFORMA
grupoantolin
News reports suggest that the
Brazilian economy may be cooling
down. What is your feeling? How
will it affect vehicle production
and our operations?
Making predictions about Brazil has always been difficult. However, I think it is
evident that we have ceased to be a great
unknown and soon we will no longer talk
about the country as an emerging economy. My feeling is that we will see modest
figures for growth and the main economic indicators. The effect of this on vehicle
production and our operations is to lead
to somewhat slower growth than was
forecast just a few years ago.
From left to right:
Pablo García (Regional Director for South America)
Nilson Dias (Commercial Director)
Ivan Ubeira (Intertrim Industrial Director)
Roberto Carlos Sá (Financial Director)
Claudio Di Gregorio (Purchasing Director)
Osvaldo Pires (Human Resources Director)
Paulo de Nardi (Iramec Industrial Director)
What is the most complex thing
about working in Brazil? And the
most rewarding?
Working and living in Brazil is fantastic.
The most difficult thing is understanding the “rules of the game”. It is a very bureaucratic and complex country from an
administrative point of view. Without a
doubt the best thing about working here
is the people.
“Honesty is what
I most value in a
colleague. That is
something we should
bring from home”
What is Grupo Antolin’s competitive
advantage over its competitors?
confirm that this has been one of the
main reasons for Grupo Antolin’s success.
What are your objectives for the next
few years? What lies ahead for us?
After overcoming this bad period, we
will face great challenges over the coming years. The main objective is not only
to grow, but to improve our profitability.
Regardless of the volume that we manufacture, we should be able to achieve the
expected and promised results.
What is your greatest work
achievement?
The service and customer support. From
my first day at the company it was clear
that the customer comes first. I can also
IRAMEC
If we are talking about Grupo Antolin, I
would say it is still too early to talk about
work achievements. I hope that they will
arrive soon, and they will no doubt be
thanks to the efforts of the great team of
professionals that form the Grupo Antolin
family in Brazil.
A failure? What did it teach you?
The main failures that come to mind are
those related to occupational health and
safety. Unfortunately I have seen several
accidents throughout my professional career and I have always been left with a feeling that given my role, I could and should
have done more. SAFETY comes first.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
23
SELFportrait
Why did you decide to work in the automotive industry?
When I was in the third year of my degree I had an internship
at Grupo Copo (a supplier to Grupo Antolin), a company that
manufactures polyurethane seat fillers. That was when I decided
to work in the automotive industry. The most important part of
that experience was the moment when I discovered that I liked
the industry, the factories.
Your dream car
A “fusca” (the VW Beetle in Brazil) from
1969.
Favorite color for cars
For the fusca? Dark blue.
A character to mention from the
automotive world
Richard E. “Dick” Dauch.
Founder and CEO of
AAM (American Axle
Manufacturing). For those
who want to know more
about this “tough guy from
Detroit” I recommend reading
his book “American Drive”.
What automobile invention impresses you the most?
I share the opinion of Miguel Marañón (director of the Seat
Business Unit) who featured in the Autumn 2013 edition since
the airbag is the invention that has impressed me the most.
Whenever I get into a car, I look to see how many “Airbag” symbols
there are and where they are located.
What would you have liked to invent?
The transformation of engines from petrol to diesel, patented in
1951 by Eduardo Barreiros. Some may wonder who this man was,
and they would be even more surprised to find out that he had his
own brand of cars, eventually working with Chrysler.
Your motto at the wheel...
Starting with the purchasing of the vehicle, I prioritize safety
over all other features. Speed, travelling long distances without
stopping to rest, etc. are things of the past. I would define myself
as a defensive driver and I surprise myself when I make the same
comments that I heard my father make: “Where are you going?
You are going to kill somebody!”
What was your first car?
A Seat Marbella Black. I am the youngest of 6 siblings and I
inherited the car after it had passed through the hands of most of
them.
What will we be driving in 20 years?
I guess the big cities are where we will see the most significant
changes in vehicles, with great advances in the speed, economy
and comfort of group transport. The overhead systems, the doors,
the seats… that we will be manufacturing in 20 years’ time will
certainly be very different from those we make today.
24 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Finally, how do you think the World
Cup and Olympic Games will affect
Brazil? A favorite for the World
Cup…
Brazil has already been affected. Almost
all the car assemblers have announced
that they will stop or reduce production
in their factories during the World Cup.
However, it cannot be said that the sporting event is the reason, because it is due
more to a readjustment of stocks. They
will take advantage of the opportunity
to limit the impact of potential problems
which may arise from the event, such as
increased absenteeism, delayed deliveries
due to transport problems, etc.
The effect of the Olympic Games
will be more limited, since it is only
in Rio de Janeiro.
Favorites for the World Cup? Spain and
Brazil. If “la Roja” does not win, the “Canarinha” will do it. ▪
REPORT
THE ® SYMBOL
AND TRADE NAMES
AND SINGS
It is quite easy to find the ® symbol in many public
documents, packaging, and labels. It is quite common
to see the ® symbol added to a name or a logo, as a
way to remark its value, its originality, and that of what
they represent. However, some times the ® symbol is
indiscriminately employed, causing misunderstandings,
and even more being the origin of legal conflicts.
The use of the ® symbol is ruled at law,
and it is devoted to indicate that a trade-mark has been registered in that country. That is, the ® symbol should be used
only to identify any commercial name or
sign, provided it has been previously registered in that country.
Nowadays, the use of the ® symbol is not
mandatory as it was in the past in some
countries. Opposite to this, in some countries where our activity is currently intensive (USA, Japan,...) the use of ® symbol
is strictly ruled, in such a way that its improper use is not allowed, and it could be
cause of lawsuits.
It is important to keep in mind all this
when preparing documentation to be publically distributed, like for instance presentations to OEMs, posters, brochures,
news, multimedia files, or on-line documents, even more when taking into ac-
count that we usually spread most of our
documents out worldwide.
Except in some specific and well-justified
cases, what is recommended is to avoid
any use of ® symbol. One typical example is when someone mentions any of our
trade names referring to any among our
products or technologies, or even to Grupo Antolin.
In any case, regardless what is said above,
in any public document it is equally recommended to warn about any liability related
to the misuse of any of the trade names
and logos cited in a public document by
indicating that they could be trade-marks
registered in those countries where such
document is going to be distributed.
All this is equally applicable to any other
trade name or logo belonging to any other
firm. ▪
As a general rule, whenever we
intend to spread any document
from Grupo Antolin out, we
strongly recommend:
· Avoid any use of ® symbol.
In any case if you are
considering using ® symbol,
please, ask first for advising
from Industrial Property
department.
· In any document to be issued
or exhibited by GA, add the
following disclaimer:
‘Grupo Antolin’ corporate name,
‘Grupo Antolin’ logo, as other
different trade names as …
(indicate those names referred
within the document)…, can
be trade-marks registered in
the European Union, or in other
countries. Other trade names
or signs belonging to third
firms, cited in this document,
could be also trade-marks
registered in the European
Union, or in other countries.
Any of them should be
properly used according to
the corresponding national
and international Intellectual
Property laws which were
applicable in those countries
where this document is going
to be distributed.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
25
SPECIAL
LUIS VEGA
GOICOLEA
BEST
FINANCIAL
EXECUTIVE
2014
On 12 June, the Chief Financial Officer of Grupo Antolin, Luis Vega Goicolea, received
the Award for Best Financial Executive 2014 in the 1st Castilla y León Económica Awards
presented by the magazine Castilla y León Económica.
These awards are recognition for the leading executives and are a new development at a time when the business world
is not having its finest moment. The Director of the publication, Alberto Cagigas,
said that “it is only fair to recognize the
executives and business people who have
fought against this perfect storm”.
The award ceremony, which was attended by over 700 people, was held in Auditorium. I at the Feria de Valladolid. The
event was attended by, among others,
the Presidents of Iveco España, Jaime Re-
26 INFORMA
grupoantolin
villa; of Danone España, Javier Robles; of
Vodafone, Francisco Román; and the CEO
of Bankinter, María Dolores Dancausa.
During the closing speech for the event,
Tomás Villanueva, Minister of Economy
and Employment, told the executives
that “you are a clear example of the productive structure of our region, which
has diversified and become more competitive. It shows the value of human
capital, which in many cases is the foundation for success in creating work and
employment”.
Interview to Luis Vega
Chief Financial Officer of Grupo Antolin.
Why do you think you have been given this award?
I believe this award recognizes the magnificent work of everyone in
the financial management team (DEF) at Grupo Antolin. The majority of those who work in the DEF have been there for a long time, and
this award recognizes all that we have done and achieved together.
Buying back shares from the savings banks, the bond issue, lots of
excitement in a short space of time?
It’s true that over just a few months we have carried out complex
transactions, but I have always been very relaxed since I knew that
I had the backing of the company’s management and the support
of all those who work in the DEF. These transactions have given us
a lot of work, but we have also really enjoyed their structuring and,
above all, they have gone very well.
What are you most proud of?
I have spent more than 25 years working in this company and I have
seen it grow. I’m thrilled that the efforts made by so many people in
this company are increasingly recognized when we say that we are
Grupo Antolin. In London, during the bond roadshow, it was incredible to realize that the world’s major investment funds wanted to
invest in a company from Burgos.
In addition, and although it sounds repetitive, I am proud of the
team that we have formed in the DEF.
What are the upcoming challenges that Grupo Antolin faces in
financial matters?
We have to be able to absorb the transactions that we have carried
out over recent months and be prepared to continue helping the
business with all it needs. Rigorousness is something fundamental
in our area and we must never lose it.
While the company’s finances are at an optimal point, we must not
relax and must keep working hard, as we have always done.
You have been working at Grupo Antolin for more than 25 years, is the
company at its peak?
Throughout all this time, we have experienced many things and I
don’t think that any time from the past was better. The company is
at an optimal point, we have never sold so much and our profitability is good, but I have no doubt that the best chapters about this
company are yet to be written.
Photos provided by Castilla y León Económica Magazine
Award winners in this first
edition
Best Financial Executive: Luis Vega
Goicolea, Grupo Antolin
Award of Honor: Jaime Revilla,
President of Iveco Spain
Best Company Executive in Castile
and León: Juan Miguel Martínez
Gabaldón, Galletas Gullón
Best Multinational Executive
located in Castile and León: Ricardo
García, Benteler
Best Sales/Marketing Executive:
María Eugenia García, Aquona
Best Human Resources Executive:
Federico Tresierra, MSD Animal Health
Best Exports/Internationalization
Executive: José María Castillero,
Inzamac
Best R&D Executive: Alberto
Guadarrama, Grupo Matarromera
Best Quality Executive: Josefa Güiles,
Mozo Grau
Best Executive from Castile and León
who triumphed elsewhere: Javier
Robles, Danone
grupoantolin
INFORMA
27
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
GRUPO ANTOLIN-TURNOV
Improving the employees’ health
and safety
Occupational health and safety have always been a priority of Grupo Antolin-Turnov company.
In fact, in 2008, it was the first Grupo Antolin company which certified its Occupoational
Health & Safety management system according to the OHSAS 18001 standard.
In 2011, the management system renewed
its certificaction together with environment certificaction (ISO 14001) and thus
reached an efficient integration of both
systems. The correct setting of these systems was proved during the audit by the
TÜV Rheinland., when no non-conformity
was found.
Preventive activities in
2013-2014
Implementation
and operation
Planning
OH&S Policy
OHSAS
18001
Safety is our permanent priority. In recent
years we focused on:
Checking and
Corrective Action
Management
Review
· Employee education
· Workplace ergonomics improvements
· Participation of employees at identifying
working risks:
Poland
Germany
Grupo Antolin-Turnov company
is based in Turnov, the Czech
Republic. It belongs to the
Door Business Unit and its
main activity is the production
of door panels.
Turnov
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Switzerland
Austria
Hungary
Grupo Antolin-Turnov (Czech Republic) today
715
employees working in 3 shifts,
some workplaces have non-stop operation
28 INFORMA
grupoantolin
The evaluation of reported risks together
with submitted proposals for their improvement also proved to be very effective.
Healthcare Programme
Grupo Antolin-Turnov carries out medical
check-ups of its employees including prevention in accordance with legal regulations.
But, the Programme focuses on maintaining and improving the employees’ health.
It includes such activities as:
· Flu prevention: flu vaccination campaign
and distribution of vitamins against the
flu in the autumn period.
· Rehabilitation massages
· Subsidies for healthy foodstuff consumption (salads)
· Healthy environment
· We also regulary check our machinery in order to secure its correct functioning and healthy environment. The
Turnov plant is a non-smoking workplace.
Currently, we try to reach a higher participation of doctors from Occupational medicine on the occupational health and safety
management system.
Our occupational health and safety strategy focuses not only on the reaching of the
safe working environment, but also on the
improvement of the working environment
by stress elimination and fair behavior at
the workplace.
Grupo AntolinTurnov wants
to continue
improving health
and safety in
its facilities.
Management
leadership
and increasing
engagement of
all employees are
two basic pillars in
order to achieve it.
All employees have available the so-called
ideaboxes, i.e. post boxes, to which they
can put any comments concerning the
company. They can also whenever personally visit the head of the HR department as
it is a part of our open door policy. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
29
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
7.45 h
New Timetable of the Central
Headquarters
From 7.45 am to 5.00 pm
with flexibility of 1 and a
quarter hours in the arrival and
departure time, and a lunch
break of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
17.00 h
Europe closest, closer individuals
NEW TIMETABLE OF THE
CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS
Since May 26 of last year, the Central Headquarters has been implementing a new
timetable for the working day based on flexibility and promoting new forms of work
organization, aimed at providing flexible and logical personal and work timetables more
consistent with those in European Union countries.
It therefore favors the continuous day
with a shorter lunch break and an early
going home time, allowing us to provide
a better service to our companies and
other stakeholders. It is also designed to
meet the demands of our staff expressed
through the different existing channels of
communication.
30 INFORMA
grupoantolin
This change, together with the launch of
a canteen with its own kitchen inside the
offices and the expansion of the company
bus routes and services are in turn in keeping with the objectives established in the
Mobility Plan, namely to ensure a reduction
in commuting time and to make sure this is
safe and respectful of the environment. ▪
REPORT
THE NEW FORD F-150
the future force
If there is a significant vehicle in the Ford brand, it’s the F-150. This is a pick-up truck with a history as it
has been produced in many different versions since 1948, when the first model of the F1 left the factory,
selling 290,000 units in its first year of existence.
Used as a cargo vehicle, but also as transportation, its success is demonstrated by
its figures: it has been the best-selling vehicle in the USA for 32 years, and the best-selling pick-up truck in the USA for 37 years.
The F-150 has crossed borders and triumphed in countries other than the USA, such
as Mexico, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
In 2015, the 13th generation will go on sale
and will incorporate fresh aluminum bodywork while maintaining its current ro-
bustness and comfort. Ford has thought
about efficiency by using aluminum for
its bodywork and has managed to reduce
the weight by 350 kg, representing a 15%
reduction over its predecessor.
Aluminum alloy + highstrength steel. The new
Ford F-150 features a chassis
made of high-strength steel
that attaches to the body
work and a body made
from aluminum for the first
time. It weighs 350 kg less,
representing a 15% reduction
compared to its predecessor
Grupo Antolin’s history is also linked to
this model, given that the overhead systems on this successful model are produced in our plants in the United States:
GA-Wayne, GA-Kentucky and GA-Michigan, as well as in Brazil at GA-Intertrim. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
31
OUR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD
Héctor García
de la Fuente
QUALITY MANAGER AT GRUPO ANTOLIN-KENTUCKY
I started working at Grupo Antolin-Eurotrim where I stayed from 1996 until 2010. Later I moved to
the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic where I was in charge of the Quality Department; and for
the past seven months I have been in the USA, where I am also head of the Quality Department.
In America everything seems different, bigger:
cars, trucks, even the storms...
What made you decide to go to
America as an expatriate?
What led us to make this decision was the
opportunity for professional development
coupled with the personal enrichment that
my family could obtain by coming into contact with other cultures and, of course, the
opportunity to learn other languages.
32 INFORMA
grupoantolin
What have been the benefits of
changing both your job and your
country?
Mainly experience. Being in charge of a department you realize more than ever that “everybody is unique.” Working in other countries I
have been able to observe the different ways of
working and to address the same problem.
Héctor García de la Fuente, Quality Manager at Grupo Antolin-Kentucky
What struck you when you started
to come into contact with American
society?
Taking into account that I have only
been living between the states of Kentucky and Tennessee for seven months,
what has caught my attention most is
the car culture. Unlike Europe, the vast
majority of the cars here are petrol, automatic and high-powered, and every
day I see vehicles that to me seem to be
“Jewels on wheels”, and this applies to
cars, trucks and motorcycles. Sometimes there seems to be no limit or control when it comes to customizing your
own car.
What do you miss the most living so
far away?
Not surprisingly, it is family, friends and
the social life we had in Spain; and of course our famous tapas known throughout
the world.
What is special about this
city in terms of doing
business? How are the
relationships? How is
business done?
Business seems to be
going well, the restaurants
are full every day and
we continually see the
opening of all kinds of new
businesses. With regard to
relationships, the Americans
are very friendly and my
impression is that they really
like family life.
Have you ever regretted taking this
decision?
So far, never. Being abroad means a big
sacrifice but the pros have exceeded the
cons by a long way, especially every time I
think about my daughters living each day
Jim Smith, Nancy Gilkey,
Morgan Deckard, James Knight,
Josh Shipp, Daniel Lope, Héctor García,
Gerald Gibson, Crisp Dwight,
Derick Moorefield, Josh Tharpe
with children from other countries, communicating in their language, with the
enrichment that this entails.
What can an American offer a
Spaniard and vice versa?
I think it is simply a cultural exchange
from which we all benefit.
What were the main difficulties,
both professional and personal,
that you faced upon arrival? How do
did you adapt? And your family?
I think they were the same difficulties as
in any other country. Finding somewhere to live, opening a bank account, insuring a vehicle, driving licence... all of this
takes time.
The best thing of all is to see how easily
my daughters of 4 and 9 have adapted to
the language and the culture of the country we are in.
Finally, do you have any advice for
those considering spending part of
their career abroad?
Go ahead; it’s an enriching experience in
every way. We only planned to live abroad
once but in the end we have repeated the
experience. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
33
THE PHOTO
Segment trends at the
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
The desire to please
all audiences and the
prospect of a more buoyant
economy in Europe have
encouraged our customers
to introduce new models
in different segments and
with daring designs.
MINICAR MANIA
We start with the triad formed by the Citroën C1, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo.
Undoubtedly, French constructors can
add a touch of elegance and fashion to
this segment A. We were surprised by Toyota’s interpretation and how they managed to differentiate their model from
those of Peugeot and Citroën.
Opel, Renault and Suzuki presented their
individual launches: Renault Twingo,
Opel Adam Rocks and Suzuki Celerio.
We could describe the new Renault Twingo as one of the Show’s most anticipated
launches and this compact city car with a
rear engine did not go unnoticed.
The new Suzuki city car, the Celerio, will
replace the current Suzuki Alto and will
reach the European market this year.
We end our tour of the market for practical vehicles with the Opel Adam Rocks,
the latest version of the Adam with the
look of an SUV and an electric canvas roof.
34 INFORMA
grupoantolin
GRUPO ANTOLIN AT THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
Citroën C1,
Peugeot 108 &
Toyota Aygo
Sunvisors, pillars.
SUPER CARS
It’s clear that it was not all going to be
about urban, practical and very efficient
cars. For all car lovers, the wide variety
of models on show at Geneva also includes those dream sports cars that bring to
mind the Maserati slogan “absolute opposite of ordinary”.
The first in this extensive list, which we
will reduce to just five models, is the Ferrari California T. The smallest of the Ferrari cars, with slight cosmetic changes,
it goes back to the turbocharged engine
after a 30 year break.
A replacement for the Gallardo, the new
“bull” from Lamborghini is called the Huracan, a car with a V10 engine that can go
from 0 to 100 in just 3.2 seconds.
Renault Twingo
Window regulators (and its electronics), door panels,
sunvisors, metal reinforcements, dome lamp, day
running lamp, ambient light, multipurpose lamp,
license plate lamp.
Lamborghini
Huracan
Dome lamp,
Multipurpose Lamp.
The Spider version of the Alfa Romeo 4C
was presented as a prototype and, following in the wake of its coupé brother,
which also reflects Alfa Romeo’s spirit, it
is expected that limited production will
start in 2015.
Suzuki Celerio
The Mc Laren 650s is the second model in
the current range from the British constructor and was presented with coupé
and convertible models.
Alfa Romeo
4C Spider
Another great model in this category is
the Maserati Alfieri which we can also
consider as a prototype version and which
gave us a hint about the future features
from Maserati. ▪
Headliner
Trunk lamp
(current 4C)
grupoantolin
INFORMA
35
Grupo Antolin
Green Program
2014-2016
SPECIAL
“Green Program 2014-2016” is a campaign lasting several years to minimize the
environmental impact of the products and processes developed by all the Grupo
Antolin companies worldwide.
Since 2006 the “Environmental and
Energy Indicators” application has been
available on the corporate intranet,
so that the Group’s centers can report
36 INFORMA
grupoantolin
data on their consumption of energy
(electricity, natural gas and other fuels),
water and waste generation, as well as
the associated costs.
It also allows for the reporting of data
about transformed pellets, for injection
plants, or the number of parts produced
for the rest. In this way, the tool
calculates the indicators of consumption
and waste generation in relation to the
production or turnover, as well as the
associated CO2 emissions.
Following the widespread use of this
application and the consolidation of
the data, the Senior Management at
Grupo Antolin, through the commitment
signed by its chief operating officer, Jesús
Pascual, has decided to promote the
“Grupo Antolin Green Program 2014-2016”.
This first corporate program will focus
on minimizing the Carbon Footprint and
waste generation at a corporate level. It
includes 70 companies belonging to the
four Business Units (those that, due to
their small size, have little effect on the
overall targets have been excluded).
AT GRUPO ANTOLIN
WE ARE COMMITTED
TO ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT BASED ON
PREVENTING POLLUTION
AND REDUCING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
OF OUR ACTIVITIES
WORLDWIDE
OVERALL TARGETS
for this first corporate program
Minimizing the
Carbon Footprint
3% reduction in
corporate CO2
emissions measured
as tons-CO2
2016 vs. 2013.
Overall Emissions
of CO2 2013 with
respect to sales:
0.047 tons CO2 /
thousand €
The companies, together with their
Industrial Managements, must contribute
to achieving these corporate targets by
implementing the measures needed to
reduce, during the period 2014-2016, the
following environmental and energy
indicators:
· Ratio of electricity consumption by 1%
per year (kWh consumed with respect to
production).
Reducing waste
generation
3% reduction in the
generation of nonhazardous waste
measured as NHW
tons 2016 vs. 2013.
Overall generation
of non-hazardous
waste in 2013 with
respect to sales:
0.019 tons /
thousand €
· Ratio of non-hazardous waste by 1%
per year (tons of waste generated with
respect to production).
These targets have been defined
and deployed through the Industrial
Management of each Business Unit, in
collaboration with the Corporate Quality
Management.
There will be regular monitoring of the
degree of progress in these objectives to
ensure that the Green Program 2014-2016
is a success.
This program involves the implementation
of Company decisions on practices that
are better for the Environment, devoting
time, effort and resources to managing
waste and consumption, and to efficiency
and energy management. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
37
REPORT
GRUPO ANTOLIN SUPPLIES GRAPHENE MATERIAL
FOR A RANGE OF ADVANCED PADDLE TENNIS RACKETS
GRAPHENE AT PADDLE
RSP Paddle Engineering Technology, a company
based in Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain, has presented
its new paddle tennis racket models. The rackets,
which are sold under the names “BLACK HEART”
and “PLATINUM”, incorporate graphene produced
by Grupo Antolin into their material composition.
This graphene material, specific to the sports
sector, is the result of the activities of the
Advanced Carbon Materials area at Grupo Antolin
that develops innovative diversification products.
Juan Manuel Restivo, María
Blázquez and Mariana
Cordero, some of the
professional players that
use this racket in the World
Paddle Tour 2014.
The results obtained from the rackets,
after tests conducted by professional
and amateur players, are very satisfactory. The players especially appreciate the
high speed that the ball reaches in the
game, thanks to the racket’s improved
performance.
“Our development challenge is not to reduce the weight of the racket or increase
its strength, but rather increase its perfor-
38 INFORMA
grupoantolin
mance in what is known as
the ability to move the ball.
With the graphene material
from Grupo Antolin we thoroughly
achieve this goal”, explains Francisco
Abarca, founding partner of RSP.
In the 2013 national survey on favorite paddle tennis racket brands,
conducted on Facebook, RSP came
second in the ranking. ▪
REPORT
School of Emotional
Intelligence
A new element has been developed within the framework of the “Talent
Management Program”, Specifically, a “School of Emotional Intelligence” has been
created, designed to work on the different emotional intelligence skills of the group
known as “Knowledge Leaders”.
“I found it very interesting. For
those of us who always work
from a technical perspective it
is very rewarding to discover
that there is “another way of
seeing the world.” Moreover,
as a trainer and knowledge
leader it seems to me
essential to know how to react
to the people you work with
every day. In short, we are
looking forward to studying
the topic in more depth”.
Ana Irene Solas
Corporate HR Development Director
As with other skill schools, the focus
has been on combining 2.0 technology
with the involvement of external professionals to help the participants to
work effectively on crucial factors such
as self-awareness, self-motivation, empathy, and above all on developing social
skills that enable these knowledge leaders to create and maintain professional
relationships, positively influencing others and maintaining effective communication with different representatives.
Something to be emphasized once again
is the great commitment of the attendees, who carried out a course-end project
that allowed them to establish an action
plan to transfer what they had learnt to
their jobs.
Pedro Gonzalez Moro
Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria
In a society where reasoning seems to
increasingly dominate emotions, it is
important to bear in mind that emotional intelligence plays a very important
role within organizations. Through this
school, we are trying to encourage our
professionals to recognize and effectively
manage their emotions, allowing themselves to use them in an optimal way so
that there is a positively impact on their
personal and professional lives. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
39
RECOGNITIONS
GRUPO ANTOLIN RECOGNIZED BY FORD AT ITS
WORLD EXCELLENCE AW
Ernesto Antolin, Vice
Chairman of Grupo
Antolin, received the
prize last May 22 at
Dearborn, Mich.
Ford Recognizes Its Top Global
Suppliers for Outstanding
Performance in 2013
· Fifty-one global supplier partners were
honored at a special ceremony for their
exceptional contributions to Ford Motor Company in 2013
· Top-performing suppliers were recognized for achieving excellence in key
areas including quality, cost performance and delivery
· Eighteen countries were represented
at the 16th annual World Excellence
Awards
40 INFORMA
grupoantolin
“Ford Motor Company is extremely proud
to recognize the excellent performance of
our suppliers and their contribution to our
success,” Thai-Tang, Group Vice President,
Global Purchasing. “Your companies’ commitment to quality, cutting-edge technology and cost efficiency is a vital part of the
One Ford plan. Thank you for helping Ford
achieve our business objectives and deliver world-class products and outstanding
value to our customers.”
Fifty-one awards were presented this year.
Gold and Silver awards were presented to
supplier manufacturing sites that demonstrated superior quality, delivery and cost
performance throughout 2013.
From left to rigth:
Hau Thai-Tang (Group Vice President, Global
Purchasing), Ernesto Antolin (Vice Chairman
of Grupo Antolin), Mark Fields (Chief Operating
Officer) and Raj Nair (Group Vice President,
Global Product Development).
AWARDS
“These suppliers have
demonstrated the highest
level of excellence, and
we are honored to have
them as part of the One
Ford team,” Hau Thai-Tang,
Group Vice President,
Global Purchasing.
“Congratulations to the
2013 World Excellence
Awards winners.
Recognition of Achievement awards were
given to suppliers who improved customer satisfaction by providing significant
contributions in such key areas as new
consumer-focused technology, durability and reliability performance, corporate
responsibility, supplier diversity development and community service.
“Congratulations to all of our supplier partners who have demonstrated a
commitment to excellence as we together work to achieve mutual growth,”
said Mark Fields, Ford chief operating
officer. “Our suppliers are key to the success of our One Ford plan, including our
commitment to accelerate our pace of
progress and deliver even more of the
great products and innovations that will
create even more growth and define our
company going forward.”
The World Excellence Awards recognize suppliers who not only achieve the
highest level of cost competitiveness,
quality and delivery, but also acknowledge the diverse cultures, values and
ideas of the thousands of individuals
they employ. First distributed in 1998,
the World Excellence Awards honor
both production and nonproduction
suppliers. The ceremony was held at
Ford Motor Company World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
41
SPECIAL
The place-it!
Project comes to an end
Last 27th and 28th January the final review meeting of the PLACE-it project took place
at the EU premises in Brussels. The EU officer in charge of the project and the reviewers highlighted the remarkable results achieved within the project.
Philips BlueTouch®
www.blueledtherapy.c om
CONSORTIUM
The story began back in 2009 when
Philips, already working with LEDs integrated on textile substrates for small
phototherapy bandages (Bluetouch®)
proposed a consortium project for the
development of a technology platform
for thin, lightweight and free-form optoelectronic systems for on-body health
and wellness products, as well as for in-
novative product designs like for example automotive interior trims. Flexible
OLEDs are considered a key element.
In February 2010 the project started
with Philips Research as coordinator
and the collaboration of universities, research institutions and companies from
different EU countries. Grupo Antolin
PARTNERS
COORDINATOR:
Philips Research
(Netherlands)
42 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Philips Lighting
(Netherlands)
Heidelberg University FFD
(Germany)
(Germany)
TU Berlin
(Germany)
TNO
(Netherlands)
Ricardo Ureta
Corporate Innovation (Lighting)
Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria
PLACE-it is a research project in the area of
“Flexible organic and large area electronics”, founded
by the European Union under the 7th Framework
Programme for Research and Technological
Development (FP7). It had an EU contribution of
€10.88 million and ran for 46 months (2010 - 2013).
has participated in the definition of requirements, testing and integration of
the technology in a demonstrator.
The project goal has been the co-development of 3 technologies: Foil - Stretch
- Textile which can be combined like
LEGO® building blocks to create large
thin conformable systems. The illumination sources are LEDs and OLEDs.
The way to achieve the conformability
has been combining flexible parts with
stretchable substrates.
GA Ingenieria
(Spain)
I+D+i
TITV
(Germany)
Aachen University
(Germany)
Ohmatex
(Denmark)
Centexbel
(Belgium)
IMEC
(Belgium)
grupoantolin
INFORMA
43
Flexible OLEDs on textile
Grupo Antolin is working on the exploitation and introduction of the technology to vehicle interior trims, as well as
on new technology developments inside
the new EU Horizon 2020 research program (2014-2020, €80 billion).
The results of the project were shown in
three different types of demonstrators:
1. Phototherapy (Philips)
· Large area light blanket and mattress for jaundice treatment
· RSI (repetitive strain injury) in carpal tunnel syndrome
2. Renal function monitoring (Heidelberg
University) Avoids the need for multiple blood
sampling and laboratory essay
44 INFORMA
grupoantolin
3. Headliner with courtesy and reading lamps, button console,
multicolor ambient lighting and large area decorative light. All
contained on the textile skin. Unprecedented levels of integration and
perceived quality. No assembly post process necessary.
30%-40% weight reduction compared with state of the art solutions.
Sunvisor with LEDs on textile for decorative lighting and vanity light with OLEDs or stretchable lightguides
Blue light in pain therapy
Philips BlueTouch was launched in 2012
for the treatment of back pain with
blue light (medical proven). In this device the LEDs are soldered on a textile
containing conductive threads instead
of the typical rigid printed circuit board
for maximum comfort.
PLACE-it stands for Platform for Large Area
Conformable Electronics by InTegration. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
45
NEWS IN BRIEF
“Family
companies are
a good breeding
ground for job
creation”
During his speech, Ernesto Antolín stated that “the future of
industry in Spain lies in research and technology, we are no
longer competitive in low level jobs, nor will we ever be again.”
lies in research and technology, we are
no longer competitive in low level jobs,
nor will we ever be again.”
Ernesto Antolín, Vice Chairman of Grupo
Antolin, was the keynote speaker at the
second session of the 7th Cycle of ESADEDeloitte Conferences held on May 28 in
Madrid, focused on “Family companies
and international competitiveness. Best
practices”.
He also stressed that “family companies,
for their values​and vision of the future,
are a good breeding ground for job creation.” In terms of internationalization,
he argued that “globalization will put an
end to our Eurocentric approach and we
will have to be where the demand is, in
emerging markets and in Asia.”
This cycle can be seen as part of ESADE’s
desire to be a leading center in Madrid
in terms of the business and economic
debate, running meetings and events
designed to allow for an exchange of
ideas and opinions on issues related to
business management.
Grupo Antolin’s Vice Chairman was
accompanied during his presentation by
Fernando Ruiz, Chairman of Deloitte;
Pedro Navarro, Executive Vice Chairman
of the ESADE Foundation Board; and
Alberto Gimeno, Full Professor in the
Department of General Management
and Strategy at ESADE.
During his speech, Ernesto Antolín stated that “the future of industry in Spain
46 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Pictures by ESADE
The USA recalls
22 million
vehicles in
2013
The number of vehicles recalled in the
USA last year amounted to almost 22
million units, which is an increase of five
and a half million compared to 2012.
The number of recall campaigns by the
car manufacturers increased 10% to 632,
the highest figure since 2010.
Toyota tops the list with 5.3 million
vehicles in 15 campaigns, followed by
Chrysler, who recalled 4.7 million in 36
different campaigns. In third place was
Honda, who recalled 2.8 million vehicles
in 15 campaigns. In descending order,
the list continues with Hyundai, Ford,
Kia, Nissan, BMW, General Motors, and
with lesser amounts, the other manufacturers.
TOYOTA
CRYSLER
Grupo Antolin
honored for its
commitment
to female
employment
On March 6, the General Union of Workers
in Navarre (Spain) recognized Grupo Antolin-Navarra commitment to female employment, as 54% of its employees are women.
The event, organized by the Department
of Women, in collaboration with the Fede-
ration of Metal, Construction and Similar
Industries (MCA), was attended by the head
of the UGT union branch in Antolin, Borja
Paredes, and the secretary for Equality in
the same union in Navarre, Marisol Vincent.
Visit from the Management of
Renault Spain to Grupo Antolin
On February 12, 2014, José Antonio López, CEO of Renault Spain, accompanied by Vicente Mateos-Urraca, Executive Secretary of Renault Spain, visited the central offices
of Grupo Antolin in Burgos as well as the production plants at Grupo Antolin-Aragusa
and Grupo Antolin-Eurotrim.
5,300
4,700
2,800
HYUNDAI
2,200
OTROS
2,050
FORD
1,200
KIA
1,100
NISSAN 960
BWM 930
GM 760
HONDA
The data has been collected
by the US NHTSA (National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration) agency.
From left to right: José Antolin Granet, Deputy Manager of Grupo Antolin-Aragusa; José Amando Delgado
Hurtado, Manager of Grupo Antolin-Aragusa; José Antonio López, CEO of Renault Spain; Vicente MateosUrraca, Executive Secretary of Renault Spain and Jesús Pascual, Chief Operations Officer of Grupo Antolin.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
47
Grupo Antolin-Turnov
awarded by Volvo
On December 18, 2013, our colleagues from Grupo Antolin-Turnov
(Czech Republic) were presented with the Volvo Quality Excellence
(VQE) award at a ceremony held in Gothenburg (Sweden).
During the ceremony, which lasted from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, they also took the opportunity to discuss
significant business opportunities with Volvo Cars.
From left to right: Ulf Johansson – Purchasing Manager; Mikulec, Marian - Interior site STA; Sanja Andreasen - Director site SQM&Head of Global Interior; Heidi
Owren - Purchasing Manager TK; Richard Ashford - Interior site SQM manager. The prize was collected by Tomáš Koucký, Quality Manager at Grupo Antolin-Turnov.
Renault and Grupo Antolin,
much more than customer and
supplier
The objective of the meeting was to find
out more about our advances in innovation, in both products and processes, and
to establish a joint working strategy to
support them in three key areas:
· Reducing CO2 emissions through reducing the weight of our components,
On April 25, a high-level group of
representatives from Renault visited our central offices, consisting of:
Odile Panciatici - Vice-President of
Vehicle Engineering
Laurens van den Acker - Vice-President of Corporate Design
Rémi Bastien - Head of the DREAM
(Research, Advanced Studies and
Materials Division)
Georges Serres-Cambot - Head of
Design Quality
Catherine Joly - Project Manager for
the Design of Colors and Materials
48 INFORMA
grupoantolin
while maintaining the habitability and
space, something that in the low-end
vehicles tends to be reduced with
weight saving.
· The second area, considering the
nature of our company, is the overall
improvement of Renault interiors.
· And finally, searching for multifunction, making the most of the volumes
of the current functions.
The event saw a fruitful exchange of
ideas that generated some areas for
action in terms of present and future
projects.
We all hope to take advantage of this
great opportunity offered by Renault to
carry out the actions established, fulfilling the generated expect.
Opel, General Motors Europe, and
Grupo Antolin innovation
After the visit received
last 10th of September
of important US
representatives of
General Motors, on
the 12th of February
their colleagues from
Opel, General Motors
Europe, came to our
Headquarters in Burgos
to gain first-hand
knowledge of our
innovation offer.
In line with the presentations already
made to the attendees of the previous
meeting, in this new executive business
review, discussions went deeper into
issues of their main interest: Materials,
processes, lighting and seats.
Four people visited us from the engineering and design areas of Opel lead
by Jörg Höhne (Manager Engineering
Interior Trim & Lighting) and Lars Willke
(Manager Advance Interior).
It was one of the several actions that
have resulted from the first contact with
General Motors. We aim to translate all
of them into new business collaborations with this great vehicle manufacturer.
Graphene 2014
Toulouse
Grupo Antolin Advanced Carbon Materials
participated in the 4th Edition of the Graphene Conference, the largest European
event on graphene, which was held from
May 6 to 9 in the French city of Toulouse, in
the Pierre Baudis Conference Centre.
More than 800 participants from 49
countries gathered in Toulouse, which
also played host to “The Industrial Graphene Connect Workshop” sponsored
by Graphene Flagship, Europe’s largest
graphene research initiative that aims
to boost this field, both from the point
of view of the material and its applications.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
49
The following people attended
the presentation on behalf of the
customer:
Rainer Stutz, Executive
Director Purchase VW
Company
Grupo Antolin
presents its
SEAT SYSTEMS
activity to
Volkswagen
On February 4, a special presentation on
Grupo Antolin’s seat systems activity was
given to the Purchasing and Engineering Departments at the Volkswagen Group.
This presentation is one of the actions aimed
at including seats within the VW portfolio of
products.
To organize the event, we received excellent
support from our colleagues at Weyhausen,
who took care of every last detail.
José Manuel Temiño, our CEO, and Miguel
Ángel Vicente, our Chief Commercial Officer,
50 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Jens Graumann, Purchase
Manager VW
Martin Körner, Purchase
Manager AUDI
Santos Aguirre Martinez,
Purchase Manager SEAT
opened the event by giving the attendees an
up-to-date overview of Grupo Antolin. After
this, Ralf von Hörsten, our manager in Germany, took the opportunity to zoom in on
the ongoing activities between both groups
worldwide.
Finally, Miguel Marañón, Director of the
Seating Business Unit and his colleagues
went on to present the products and technical solutions, including, among other things,
the new seating concepts, mechanisms and
weight reduction solutions.
The warm reception for the presentation
suggested that they should organize an
open day on the following day, February 5,
which allowed the presentation to be extended to a large group of technicians from
the engineering area of the VW group.
Milos Forejtar, Purchase
Seating SKODA
Sven Altpeter, Purchase
Manager VWN
Volker Tietz, Head of
Technical Department
Interior
Rainer Roser, Technical
Manager Seats VW
Olaf Linke, Technical
Manger Seats VWN
Bernd Kröning, Technical
Manager Complete Seat
VW
Martin Tautz, Technical
Manager Simulation
Andreas Schade, Technical
Manager Electronics
From left to right: Carlos Selgas, Roberto Gutiérrez, Marta Cuevas, Bernard Benz, Enrique Fernández, Sebastian Wolf, Ralf von Hörsten, Fernando Rey, Markus Daubner,
Mauricio Vermeulen, Jurgen Moser, Gerard Bohringer, Rosalía Arribas, Ariane Gabarda, Michael Pawlowski, José Francisco García, Nicolas Bodin and Markus Stoess.
Technology
Exhibition in
WEYHAUSEN
Given the success of the presentation
on seats to Volkswagen in February,
on 29 and 30 April our technical office in Weyhausen, Germany, hosted a
multi-product technology exhibition
for the same customer. Volkswagen
appreciated the strength of the innovations made at Grupo Antolin, particularly in terms of weight reduction
proposals aimed at environmental sustainability. Colleagues from the different business units in our company traveled to our technical center to provide
support in this exhibition.
The next important public event in Germany will be our involvement in the IZB Trade
Fair in Wolfsburg (International Suppliers
Fair), taking place from 14 to 16 October of
this year. This biannual trade fair is a meeting place for the main automotive suppliers
from around the world where they can exhibit their portfolio of products. For more information you can check out their website:
www.izb-online.com
The center in Germany
began operating in 2000
and since then its staff
have been providing direct
services to our German
customers in order to
meet their needs and carry
out joint projects.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
51
GRUPO ANTOLIN-VALPLAS
The new production site Grupo
Antolin-Valplas has just been
created to address the great
increase in activity of the Ford
Amussafes plant (Valencia,
España).
Our Vice Chairman visits Grupo
Antolin-Autotrim
On February 11, our Vice Chairman, Ernesto Antolín, accompanied by Pedro Santesteban (Director of the Doors Business
Unit) and Francisco Cervera (Industrial
Director of Doors), visited Grupo Antolin-Autotrim, the new Autotrim JIT plant
in Almussafes and the premises which
will soon house Grupo Antolin-Valplas in
the town of Sollana.
On February 13, the mayor of Almussafes
and two city councilmen also visited our
facilities.
FESTO presents its
Tecnoferia on wheels at
Grupo Antolin
On April 29, FESTO, a global provider of automation solutions,
offered us an Innovative Day Meeting in order to improve our
Knowledge Management.
52 INFORMA
grupoantolin
The plant will be located in a
acquired 18,000 m2 site in the
area of Sollana, 5 km from the
Ford Almussafes factory.
The project must start
production during the summer
of 2014 in order to reach a
regular output of 200,000
car units per year by 2015.
Initially, this factory will
produce the pillars for the new
Ford Mondeo- and the new Ford
S-Max and Galaxy-, as well as
door panels. The latter is the
first door panel project that
Grupo Antolin will undertake
for Ford Europe, expecting
to expand its production to
programs of other clients.
This occasion was special because it was held in a 16x4m truck,
known as the TECNOFERIA, where they exhibited their products and technological innovations. They offer automation
solutions using pneumatic, electronic and network technology for all types of industrial processes and activities. They
supply everything from individual components to complete
systems, as well as technological and business advice and
training.
Encouraging
language
learning at
Grupo Antolin
Engineer
Design Center
in Pune
India is an important global manufacturing base for automobile companies with
the advantage of low cost production
opportunities along with an added advantage of having a well trained workforce
but competitive costs. Increasing globalization has created a large need for people
in the workforce who can communicate
in multiple languages. Offering lucrative
salaries is uncommon, and instead many
global companies are embracing language training as a key talent management initiative as they attempt to improve
their international position.
The industry’s highly competitive environment translates into a strong demand
for language experts who can successfully steer companies through challenging
times. The availability of language experts
is gradually beginning to fall short of the
industry’s requirements and this could
have an impact on future growth trends.
Results indicate that engineers who have
both subject areas, such as product expertise, and foreign language skills are valu-
able in developing and maintaining new
customers and clients, negotiating work
assignments, and helping companies retain and communicate effectively with
overseas employees.
The automotive industry continues to
evolve globally, and we need mobility in
our internal expertise, always thinking
about whether a person can take on global assignments in which foreign language
skills will play a vital part.
The availability of language skills varies
across Indian cities. For example, while
Pune has a larger pool of German speakers compared to Chennai, the latter has a
much larger Japanese pool.
In order to cater for this need and market
demand, Grupo Antolin Engineer Design
Center Pune conducts regular language
training in various languages, such as
Spanish, German, French, etc. This definitely benefits the employees as they take
up expat assignments in countries like
Spain, Germany, Japan and France, in turn
helping Grupo Antolin build a strong relationship with the client.
Bharat Ambike
Human Resources
Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria Design Center
XIII University
of Burgos
Employment
Forum
On May 6, the 13th edition of the Employment Forum was held at the University
of Burgos, an event that took place on
the 3rd floor of Fórum Evolución.
The Human Resources team at Grupo
Antolin looked after those attending
throughout the day. Almost 400 people
approached our stand for more information about the company and to leave
their CV. We have received applications
from students, recent graduates and
candidates in general who are all actively seeking employment.
The forum was one of the activities taking place as part of Employment Week
organized by the Employment Unit
and the Vice-Rector of Economy and
Business Relations at the University of
Burgos. On this occasion the company
also collaborated by taking part in the
discussion groups held. Grupo Antolin’s
talk was about “Talent Management” in
the organization.
We release
our corporate
website and
video!
On February 17, we at Grupo Antolin
launched our new website, with new
content and a fresher, renewed and livelier image.
Since May 21 we have also been able to
enjoy a new corporate video with a unique tour of our facilities, products and
values.
Access the corporate video through
Grupo Antolin’s sharepoint! Visit our
website from your PC, mobile or tablet!
www. g r upoa n tol i n . com
grupoantolin
INFORMA
53
FINANCIAL
CONVENTION 2014
From June, 3 to 5, a new financial convention was held at Grupo
Antolin headquarters, attended by a total of 66 participants, including regional controllers, from subsidiaries around the world,
and staff from Corporate Financial Management.
Our colleagues
from Seats unit
visit Grupo
Antolin-Vigo
During the days of 10, 11 and 12 of last December, GA-Vigo received a visit from our
colleagues in the Seat Systems Business
Unit working at the Álava, Ara, Ardasa,
Jarny and Magnesio plants.
This visit is part of the Strategic Industrial
Plan for the Seat Function Business Unit
for 2014 and its objective was to see our im-
The purpose of this Conferences was to analyze the 2013 financial
year and its latest events, as well as the strategic plans for this
Management to follow over the coming years.
This year’s agenda also included two IFA (International Financial Analysts) conferences, aimed at updating the participants’
knowledge in terms of the “Global Economic Environment” and
“Business Valuation”.
plementation of the Production System of
Grupo Antolin SP, and of the Occupational
Health and Safety Management System.
The aim of these days was to share knowledge about the different ways of doing
things. Or in other words, to unify and
harmonize behavior in order to find a common and standardized way of meeting
our commitments in all of the seat system
plants, based on the work performed at
GA-Vigo.
The experience was very positive since
lines of work for the future were developed, therefore guaranteeing continuous
improvement.
Grupo AntolinRyA, presented
the Óptima
Castilla y León
award
On February 20, Grupo Antolin-RyA received, along with two other companies
from Valladolid, Renault Consulting and
Fundación Intras, the Programa Óptima award with which the Government
of Castile and León rewards actions that
promote positive equality initiatives in
the business world or lead to the adoption of measures to achieve equality between men and women.
The regional delegate for the Government, Pablo Trillo, presented the Óptima
Castilla y León awards granted by the Directorate General of Women.
The following people collected the
awards on behalf of the companies:
Luis Carlos Cano, Plant Manager of Grupo Antolin-RyA; Pablo Gómez, Managing
Director of Intras; and Patricia Bayo, Deputy Director of Renault Consulting.
54 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Quality Month
in India
ATUL WALVEKAR, SACHIN PANSE
Quality plays an important role in our
work and Best Quality is obtained through systems and a systematic approach
towards achieving it.
To reinforce our efforts in achieving the
highest quality levels, we at GA-Pune
Engineering Design Center celebrated
QUALITY MONTH, a month where we
tried our best to target top quality through the existing quality systems that we
have in place.
This cannot be an individual effort and
instead requires the involvement of all the
team members, with their wholehearted
support and a desire to achieve Zero Rejection, working 100%.
Best Quality is achieved through the effective implementation of Product Design
Guidelines/Learning, CAD Methodology
and Continuous Quality improvement
through the horizontal deployment of
Best Practices/Methodology Improvement. Each is indispensable to the delivery
of satisfactory quality to customers.
We need to aim to put the concepts of
“Customer First” and “Quality First” into
practice and to respond to customer expectations.
That is why every member of the Project
Team needs to maintain high level of
awareness and take ownership and responsibility for striving for continuous improvement, thereby enhancing customer
confidence and trust by collaborating closely with one another.
The slogan “People forget how fast you did a job, but they
remember how well you did it”, sent in by Ms. Ravina
Wankhade, was chosen by the judges as the best slogan
at the end of the month.
Ambassador
of Kazakhstan
to Spain visits
Grupo Antolin
A delegation from Kazakhstan, headed
by its Ambassador, Mr. Bakyt Dyussenbayev, visited the Grupo Antolin
headquarters on April 11. María Helena
Antolin, Corporate Marketing, Communication and Institutional Relations
Director at Grupo Antolin, along with
Pilar Defez and Iñigo Ortuñez, Directors
of Corporate Development Projects at
Grupo Antolin, shared an interesting day
with this delegation.
This visit is part of a program that the
Kazakhstan government is undertaking
to promote industry, focusing in particular on the automotive industry. There
are already various automotive clusters
concentrated in the eastern region; and
approximately 20 vehicle models are
assembled using CKD, such as Toyota,
Lada, Skoda, Chevrolet, Hyundai/Kia.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
55
CORNER OF THE FUTURE
WHAT
WILL THE
CAR OF THE
FUTURE BE
LIKE?
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
The destiny of the car is
unstoppably focused on selfdriving. The manufacturers
agree that the mass arrival of
these technologies will take
place over the next decade.
Their advances are seeing the
light of day with new designs
and with passenger comfort
as one of the priorities. The
developments seem limitless.
56 INFORMA
grupoantolin
In 1961 Ford launched the Ford Gyron at the New York Motor
Show, a prototype clearly inspired by aeronautics. This first
design was developed by Alex Tremulis, a remarkable futuristic
designer who took strong inspiration from the world of aviation,
aerospace, science fiction, and even UFOs.
While in the middle of the last century the
future of the automobile was focused on
aerodynamic efficiency, today the relaxation of the driver tops the list of favorites.
Leisure and making the best use of time
are key factors; being able to relaxedly
watch a film or read a magazine whilst the
vehicle drives for us is getting increasingly
close. The objective is to increase comfort
and safety to levels unknown until now.
Operating systems from the likes of Google, Android and iOS have led to strategic
agreements with the major automobile
manufacturers and they are working sideby-side on their different technologies to
join forces and standardize motion-connectivity. The new FF from Ferrari, for example, comes with the iOS system, which
means that upon entering the car the
central console display is synchronized
with the iPad or iPhone. Volkswagen has
signed an agreement with Google to implement similar systems. So “cars are becoming increasingly similar to portable
computers”.
Having a vehicle transporting people
without a flesh and bone driver seems a
complicated task. The traditional driver
has to calculate distances, increase or decrease speed according to road sections,
avoid obstacles, interpret traffic signs,
and operate a machine according to rules
that are more subjective and intuitive
than they are objective.
Avant-garde interiors: a feel-good
atmosphere with interiors based
on shades of gray and blue and
special touch fabrics.
THREE LEVELS OF DRIVING
PARTIALLY AUTONOMOUS DRIVING, IN WHICH THE DRIVER
CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS THE AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS
The key aspect of autonomous driving in safety. At this level, driverautonomy is based on the first taking the reins, leaving the second to
interfere in driving if required for the safety of themselves and others.
Therefore, car manufacturers are studying new or improved systems
to reduce accident, such as headlights that adapt to the driving,
assistance in avoiding collisions, a warning system for lane departure,
and a pop-up hood.
HIGHLY AUTONOMOUS DRIVING, IN WHICH THE DRIVER DOES
NOT NEED TO CONTINUALLY MONITOR THE SYSTEM
This is the intermediate step between the partially autonomous and
totally autonomous driving security systems. Very useful in traffic jams.
There is a connectivity between the vehicle and the outside world that
allows it to perform some movements independently.
COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS DRIVING WHERE YOU DO NOT
EVEN NEED A DRIVER ON BOARD
Imagine getting into a vehicle and choosing a destination, even being
able to choose a certain route because we have to run an errand, then
it leaves us at the front door, drives off and parks by itself. This, at the
moment, is the vehicle of the future.
grupoantolin
INFORMA
57
Rinspeed and its self-drive
prototype: XchangE
Rinspeed, the Swiss car manufacturer
and designer, has chosen the Tesla S to
present a concept that breaks all the stereotypes linked to driving: it focuses on
the more ergonomic aspect with an interior designed for comfort. We are talking
about the Rinspeed XchangE.
This concept gives us a preview of the
mobile offices of the future: an self-drive
vehicle with a built-in coffee machine and
multiple connection services. Comfort
should apply to all passengers alike. In
fact, customers such as Volkswagen with
its Multivan, or Daimler with its Mercedes
V Class, have already equipped their interiors for holding business meetings whilst
travelling in the car. Both prioritize comfort, space and connectivity.
The self-drive car is a reality
TODAY: the Google Car
Google’s entry into the automotive industry
as a manufacturer is evidence of the confidence in the sector and its possibilities.
• In this first prototype for the Google Car,
the driver disappears completely.
•The prototype is electric, only has two
seats, is small and very compact and has
a futuristic appearance.
•It is an urban and safe vehicle where the
interior is the main protagonist.
•The vehicle incorporates a display on its
dashboard that allows for the interaction and control of various functions.
•Google plans to produce 100 units of its
prototype to start testing. At the moment we can see this car in California, in
the United States, this coming summer.
58 INFORMA
grupoantolin
Mercedes V Class: The new
V Class has three optional
infotainment systems, offering
a tailored solution for all
budgets and needs
Customers
TESLA is talking about a 90% automated system for 2016, and 100% over the
medium to long term. That is to say,
within a short period of time the driver will only have to act in 10% of situations, for legal, certification or technical reasons.
DAIMLER plans to launch a self-drive vehicle in 2021, if the law allows it. Its intentions are currently to launch it with the
Mercedes S Class, which already offers
semi-autonomous driving.
Google Car
The President of VOLKSWAGEN, Martin
Winternkorn, said at the Geneva Motor
Show that “cars are becoming increasingly similar to portable computers”. “Proof of
this is the new Audi TT, whose instrument
panel is completely virtual,” he added, so
you can configure different displays depending on your tastes or needs. “And in
the future, customers will be able to make
minor tweaks to their vehicles for themselves in their own garages, through software updates.”
GENERAL MOTORS has chosen to progress in improving the well-known autopilot, and has established the date for its
highly autonomous vehicle as the year
2020.
Next Two, the self-drive car connected to
RENAULT. A car capable of driving without interaction or control from a person.
The Next Two technology incorporates
sensors, cameras and software capable
of interpreting the surroundings so that it
can drive respecting the rules of safety and
other drivers.
According to the words of Andy Palmer,
Executive Vice-President of NISSAN, at
the Geneva Motor Show: “Nissan will sell
self-drive vehicles by 2020. In that year we
will have a car capable of going from A to
B on its own.”
‘Drive Me’ is the project which involves
self-drive cars produced by VOLVO. They
are being tested on the streets of Gothenburg and by 2017 it is expected that 100
units will be released for driving at the
same time. ▪
grupoantolin
INFORMA
59
GRUPO ANTOLIN
around the world
SPAIN
Grupo Antolin (Headquarters)
Grupo Antolin - Alava
Grupo Antolin - Ara
Grupo Antolin - Aragusa
Grupo Antolin - Ardasa
Grupo Antolin - Autotrim
Grupo Antolin - Dapsa
Grupo Antolin - Eurotrim
Grupo Antolin - Ingeniería
Grupo Antolin - Magnesio
Grupo Antolin - Martorell
Grupo Antolin - Navarra
Grupo Antolin - PGA
Grupo Antolin - Plasbur
Grupo Antolin - RyA
Grupo Antolin - Vigo
ARGENTINA
IRAUTO
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
Antolin - Sudamerica (TCO)
Intertrim
Iramec
Trimtec
CANADA
CHINA
Grupo Antolin - Shanghai (OTC)
Antolin Shanghai Autoparts
Chengdu Antolin Huaxiang
Chongqing Antolin Toupu Overhead Systems
Gongzhuling Huaxiang Auto Interior Trim
Guanzgzhou Antolin Autoparts
Ningbo Antolin Huaxiang
Grupo Antolin - CML
Yangzhou Antolin Huaxiang Autoparts
Antolin Shanghai Nanjing
Antolin Shanghai Shenyang
Antolin Shanghai Wuhu
CZECH REPUBLIC
Grupo Antolin - Bohemia
Grupo Antolin - Ostrava
Grupo Antolin - Turnov
Grupo Antolin - CML
Antolin CIE Czech Republic
FRANCE
Grupo Antolin - France (TCO)
Grupo Antolin - Cambrai
Grupo Antolin - HFR
Grupo Antolin - IGA
Grupo Antolin - Ingénierie Siegès
Grupo Antolin - Jarny
Grupo Antolin - Loire
Grupo Antolin - Vosges
Grupo Antolin - CML
GERMANY
Grupo Antolin - Deutschland (TCO)
Grupo Antolin - Logistik Deutschland
Grupo Antolin - CML
INDIA
Grupo Antolin - Chennai
Grupo Antolin - Pune
Grupo Antolin - Pune (Design Center)
Krishna Grupo Antolin
Grupo Antolin - Kasai Tek (Chennai)
Grupo Antolin renews its
ADVANCED LEVEL
in the United Nations
Global Compact
ITALY
Grupo Antolin - Italy (TCO) and production
JAPAN
Grupo Antolin - Japan (TCO)
MEXICO
Grupo Antolin - Saltillo
Grupo Antolin - Silao
Mexican Door Company
MOROCCO
Antolin - Tanger (TCO) and production
POLAND
Silesia Plastic
PORTUGAL
Grupo Antolin - Lusitânia
Grupo Antolin - Valença
ROMANIA
Grupo Antolin - CML
RUSSIA
Grupo Antolin - San Petersburgo
Antolin Avtotechnika
SLOVAKIA
Grupo Antolin - Bratislava
Slovakian Door Company
SOUTH AFRICA
Grupo Antolin - South Africa
SOUTH KOREA
Grupo Antolin - Korea (TCO)
Dong Won Tech
THAILAND
NHK Antolin (Thailand)
TURKEY
Ototrim
UNITED KINGDOM
Grupo Antolin - UK (TCO)
Grupo Antolin - Leamington
Grupo Antolin - CML
UNITED STATES
Grupo Antolin - North America (OTC)
Grupo Antolin - Illinois
Grupo Antolin - Kentucky
Grupo Antolin - Michigan
Grupo Antolin - Missouri
Grupo Antolin - Wayne
Grupo Antolin - Warren
* (TCO): Technical Commercial Office
www. g r up oan tol i n .com