- Grupo Antolin
Transcription
- Grupo Antolin
News GRUPO ANTOLIN Winter 2008 · nº 51 Grupo Antolin grows in ASIA Logistics a competitive advantage RUSSIA Commercial Convention NEWS Published by Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin is a multinational at the cutting edge of design and production of components for car interiors for the automobile industry. Present in 23 countries with 81 plants and 20 technical commercial offices and it has a workforce of more than 10,600 employees. EDITORIAL BOARD Grupo Antolin Marketing Department Carretera Madrid-Irún, km. 244,8 E 09007 BURGOS - ESPAÑA Tel. 34 947 47 77 00 Fax: 34 947 47 79 48 www.grupoantolin.com EDITORIAL OFFICE Margarita Díaz · [email protected] DESIGN Germán Delgado · [email protected] PHOTOGRAPHY Rafa Sáiz PRINTED BY COIMAN C/ Marqués de Portugalete, 16 E 28027 MADRID - ESPAÑA Tel. 34 91 742 12 03 Fax: 34 91 742 67 81 D. Legal: M-18594-2006 DOES Territory Europe - South America 7,331 employees* DOAAP Territory Africa - Asia - Pacific 1,441 employees* DONA Territory North America 1,877 employees* sumary * Nº of employees by territory to 31st of October 2007 page 4 cover Grupo Antolin increases its presence in Asia Grupo Antolin continues with its plans for expansion in Asia, thereby consolidating the Africa-Asia-Pacific territory as one of our company's trump cards in its quest for continual reliable growth. page 11 Broadening horizons In following up the line to diversify and extend the market that characterizes Grupo Antolin, it is evident that the truck sector is going full steam ahead. page 14 page 6 protagonists Marketing convention on Russia clients designing the future International Plastics and Rubber Trade Fair page 20 the photo New GA seat factory in Jarny, France page 22 en brief News in brief page 32 the history corner Soichiro HONDA For some years now, Grupo Antolin has been looking at the Russian market and its broad range of business prospects. page 8 protagonists The logistics Soichiro Honda, the man who started up Honda Motor Company. This was held in Dusseldorf from 24th to 31st October. GA visited the K2007 trade fair, one of the most important for the sector on a global scale. page 34 health “The senses” EYESIGHT page 16 clients Suppliers’ day at SEAT page 18 Traditionally the logistics function has been associated with storage and transport of products and raw materials, where its contribution to the chain of value was very limited. News Grupo Antolin 2 Winter 2008 automobile New Renault Laguna The third generation of the Laguna arrives at the dealers with a classic appearance, an impeccable interior and a surprisingly elegant exterior. We begin with the eyesight, a series of articles relative to the senses of our body. page 36 en route St Petersburg Founded just over 300 years ago by Tsar Peter the Great, St Petersburg is known as the Venice of the North, with water covering 10% of its 600 sq. km. Editorial Responsibility for publication of the news bulletin has now moved to the Marketing Department, starting with the current magazine. You will already have noticed some changes in both the new layout and in content, in which we hope to implant permanent new sections along with those that already exist, such as: In First Person, Customers, Personalities featuring interviews, Our Plants, Auto, Did you know?... Our aim is that the information of interest to GA employees should be accessible to everyone and, in every corner of the world. Any voluntary contributions will of course be well received. We encourage you to send us whatever you want to share with the rest of the employees of the Group. Likewise, we will also be grateful for any suggestions on issues you are interested in seeing published. The contact information is on page 2 of this magazine. In our debut as editors, in this magazine, we offer you a view of the activities of Grupo Antolin in Asia. Over the past two years several deals have been made with partners in Korea, China and Japan and new plants have been opened up in China and India. Another strong point of this edition concerns the variety of awards received by various companies of the Group in the past few months: Volkswagen Awards, Internet Award for Castilla y León, DTM Chrysler Award in the United States, as well as Q1 awards presented by Ford to our factories in Mexico and South Africa. Finally, we would like to mention the fact that this magazine would not have come into being without the contribution of many people, from many areas and many countries, and we would like to convey our gratitude to all of them from here. Q José Antolin Toledano President of Grupo Antolin in first person ow the Christmas festivities are all but upon us, we get ready to see out the year 2007 and welcome in 2008. Together we have got through another financial year successfully in which, having managed to meet the heavy demands for productivity on the part of our customers, at the same time we have been able to improve on the economic figures for the preceding year. N However, in spite of this improvement, we need to maintain and redouble our efforts to embark on a new year in which markets our Group has a strong presence in, such as the European, and more specifically the Spanish market, might be negatively affected by the strength of the euro and by the reduction in family purchasing power as a result of the obvious upward trend of interest rates. The budget estimates for our GROUP in the short and medium term mean that, with significant action to improve our competitiveness, we can maintain our economic parameters throughout 2008 and improve on them in the following years. We are therefore looking at a year in which, despite the possible slowdown in economic growth mentioned previously, our Group should continue to maintain an important level of controlled investment, implanting its presence in new key territories for the future of our business project. Russia and Poland are new countries where we should endeavour to set up our business in 2008. Russia, because of the growing importance this country is going to have in the car industry, in which growth rates of more than twenty-five per cent per annum are expected, and Poland, on account of the need to offer the degree of competitiveness demanded by our customers by producing in low-cost countries. I know I can count on the commitment of you all to respond to the challenges raised this year and I am sure that you will respond, just as you have always done, to the demands for extra effort so as to guarantee our levels of cost efficiency through the urgent materialisation of activities focussing on improving our productivity. You may rest assured that this effort over the short term within the context of a strategy for growth that is sustained on a medium and long-term basis will enable us to guarantee a prosperous future for all our families. I would like to take the opportunity once again this year to thank you for your work and to wish you all happy new year 2008. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 3 Grupo Antolin grows in Asia Grupo Antolin continues with its plans for expansion in Asia, thereby consolidating the Africa-Asia-Pacific territory as one of our company's trump cards in its quest for continual reliable growth. In this line, we would like to point out that we have finished 2007 with two new agreements representing a milestone in our strategy for global expansion We are growing in China… Grupo Antolin and Ningbo Huaxiang Electronic set up a Joint Venture Grupo Antolin and the Chinese company Ningbo Huaxiang Electronic Co. Ltd. signed a collaboration agreement recently on 20th November 2007 to set up a Joint Venture (50/50) that will develop, produce and market pillars and door panels in China. Attending the signing of the agreement on behalf of Grupo Antolin were: Ernesto Antolin, Vice-president, and Pablo Baroja, Director of Operations for the Africa-Asia-Pacific territories, along with our main representatives in China, Kevin Zhang and Rafael Martín. The new company, Ningbo Antolin Huaxiang Auto Parts Co. Ltd., is located in the city of Ningbo, in the province of Jiangbei, in the east of the country. Production will commence this month of January and by the year 2010 it is expected that the sales turnover will exceed 30 million euros. cover News Grupo Antolin 4 Winter 2008 Thus, Grupo Antolin is increasing its geographical presence in China and making a notable contribution to the growth of the company in this market. An area of growth that came from the headlining sector, and from now on will incorporate the new product of doors, thereby strengthening the Group's position as a global supplier of interior car components and consolidating our industrial capabilities in this country. Apart from the new company, Grupo Antolin has been present in China since the year 2001 through: - A technical-commercial office in Shanghai. - The Antolin Shanghai Autoparts plant, which belongs entirely to Grupo Antolin. - The assembly plant in Chongqing, through a partnership in which Grupo Antolin has a 69% stake. - The logistic centres of: Nanking, Shenyang and Guangzhou. Our resources in the area will continue to grow so that we can adapt to the demands of the market, and a new headliner-manufacturing plant, located in Guangzhou, is currently in the project stage. Also in an advanced stage is the signing of an agreement for the transfer of technology with a local firm to manufacture seats for Mercedes NCV2. Grupo Antolin sets up business in South Korea On 23rd November 2007, Grupo Antolin signed an agreement to purchase 30% of the shares held by the Korean company DongWon Tech. The DongWon Tech company is located in the city of Busan, in the south-eastern part of this Asian country and its main products are door panels, pillars, trays and sunvisors for the car interior. Sales predicted for the coming year amount to 50 million euros and for 2010 they are expected to exceed 80 million. This Joint-Venture is an important milestone for Grupo Antolin since it signifies a real industrial presence in South Korea, making a notable contribution to the growth of the company in the Asian zone. At the same time, Grupo Antolin is also completing its plans to form the company Grupo Antolin-Korea, and for Ernesto Antolin and Pablo Baroja with the Executives of DongWon Tech this purpose, has opened an office in the area of Seoul, where the technical and commercial activities required are underway for the projects it is working on with the Korean manufacturers, Hyundai, Kia and Renault Samsung Motors. This new office will undoubtedly strengthen our presence in one of the key markets in the car industry. Remembering There have been several events that have taken place over the year in the Africa-Asia-Pacific territory, and these have been promptly reported in Grupo Antolin News. However, we would like to recall two that are really significant: The visit to Grupo Antolin’s plant in Shanghai by the Vicepresident of the Spanish Government, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who, in the company of the Secretaries of State for Trade and Foreign Affairs, was able to see for herself the activity of our most primary plant in this country. Another important event was the launching of mass production at the new plant for modular headliners manufacture and assembly in Chennai, in southern India. Thus, we can now say that Grupo Antolin is present in the three main manufacturing points for vehicles in India, these being Delhi, Pune-Bombay and Chennai-Bangalore. The current state of development of the country, with an economic rate of growth that is very similar to that of China, of roughly 9%, means that the prospects of growth for Grupo Antolin in this country are very promising. Q Building of DongWon Tech in Busan News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 5 Ford Plant in St Petersburg where the Grupo Antolin premises are located in the dotted line Commercial convention on Russia protagonists Olivier Maljean Europe and South America Operations For some years now, Grupo Antolin has been looking at the Russian market and its broad range of business prospects. In fact, apart from all the Russian manufacturers - with Lada being the only brand marketed in Western Europe - the other manufacturers are investing more and more in assembly plants on Russian soil Many have decided to assemble cars according to the SKD or CKD (Semi or Completely Knock Down) formula, which consists of sending the cars to a plant in Russia either half-assembled or else in groups of parts, and completing the assembly of the vehicle for subsequent marketing over there. Many like BMW or Fiat started off by creating a “Joint-Venture” (partnership with a Russian partner) to facilitate all the red tape of the sprawling Russian administration. Others like Renault or Volkswagen have decided to set up a plant by themselves and start their activity without any local partners. Thus, Renault built a plant on the outskirts of Moscow and Volkswagen will shortly open its own plant in Kaluga. If we look at a map of the current location of the car-manufacturing market, we can see that there are four privileged areas: Moscow (and outskirts of Kaluga and Nizhni Novgorod), Togliatti (and outskirts of Simbirsk-Samara), Kaliningrad and St Petersburg. News Grupo Antolin 6 Winter 2008 Grupo Antolin in Russia After considering the same hypotheses as our customers about going with a partner or going solo, and examining the implantation of the industry very carefully, we have opted for the choice of setting up our own company, installing ourselves in rented warehouses near St Petersburg. The proximity of Ford (an important customer for Grupo Antolin) and the prospects offered by the region of St Petersburg (with Nissan, Toyota and GM all building assembly plants) favoured this decision. Once the plant had been selected, Florencio Cabero (Project Manager for Russia), accompanied by the European KAMs, started to visit all the customers to offer them our services and show them the portfolio of all our products. To share all the information that had been put together and start to implement the business plan for this new factory, we met on 30th November at the head offices of Grupo Antolin in Burgos. 2003-2010 new car sales 4.000 Russian OEMs 2.026 1.685 1.276 2.000 2.400 Foreign OEMs 3.000 450 781 270 160 1.000 1.000 996 2006 1.124 1.000 2005 1.115 1.050 2004 1.074 1.015 2003 0 2007 (e) 2008 (e) 2009 (e) 2010 (e) Map of Car Manufacturers. Source: Automotive News With this purpose in mind, Damián Gordo (COO of DOES), Florencio Cabero, all the European KAMs and the Marketing Department all attended the meeting. We took advantage of the general presentation of the project to also inform the other Departments at Grupo Antolin’s main office. After this presentation, each KAM presented the detailed plans of their customer for Russia and the expectations they had for obtaining orders that would allow this new plant to commence its activity, focussing initially on our main activity involving headliners and plastic injection processes. Sharing all the data contributed (volumes, initial date of production, vehicles assembled…) we are now capable of ascertaining and quantifying the activity we look forward to carrying out in Russia in the near future. The expectations offered by this market, along with the need for a supplier base in accordance with the strictest criteria regarding quality and service which are currently lacking in Russia, can do nothing but make us feel really optimistic. This new project should play a really significant role in the medium term in the sustained growth of Grupo Antolin by accompanying its customers wherever they choose to set up. Q Convention on Russia in Grupo Antolin head office News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 7 Central Logistics Department Grupo Antolin protagonists The logistics Traditionally the logistics function has been associated with storage and transport of products and raw materials, where its contribution to the chain of value was very limited. However, the car industry radically alters the logistics concept through the enormous diversification of its products, the demand for integration of more sophisticated computer systems, the globalisation of markets for raw materials/finished products and the application of the Just In Time philosophy to the full. In short: SEARCH FOR A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN LOGISTICS Aligned with those concepts, Grupo Antolin decides to create a Central Logistics Department in 1998, with the clear mission to resolve the logistic challenges of our customers and capitalise on the existing knowledge of that subject at Grupo Antolin. The most visible outcome is the implantation of an extensive network of logistics plants all over the world. News Grupo Antolin 8 Winter 2008 From left to right: Rubén Pérez, Leyre de Miguel, Iñigo Ortúñez (head of department) and Ángel Lozano Logistics Centres of Grupo Antolin in the world CANADA Oshawa UNITED STATES Wayne Shreveport Kansas City Belvidere Lake Orion Warren MEXICO Puebla Hermosillo Ramos Arizpe UNITED KINGDOM Oxford Sunderland Solihull Swindon FRANCE Sandouville Douai Montbrison BELGIUM Genk PORTUGAL Palmela GERMANY Saarlouis Sachsen Cologne Wolfsburg Eisenach Regensburg Emden Neckarsulm SPAIN Martorell Pamplona Palencia Vitoria Almussafes Barcelona Vigo CHINA Chongqing Nanjing Shenyang SLOVAKIA Bratislava Zilina SOUTH AFRICA Rosslyn Uitenhage CZECH REPUBLIC Mlada Boleslav BRAZIL Curitiba Salvador de Bahía Who do we work with? · Grupo Antolin production plants, working mainly with their respective logistics departments. · Costs department for the various product departments. · Project teams, taking an active part in their development. · Of course, automotive manufacturers. And above all, all of Grupo Antolin’s logistic plants that are operational. What are our functions? Our main mission is the design and implantation of logistic centres. We work out calculations of costs and feasibility studies for new logistic centres. We are in charge of subcontracting Logistic Services, (storage, consolidation centres, assembly and sequencing centres, deliveries to customers…) We cooperate with the Logistics Departments at the Plants and with the Suppliers’ Management Department, in the identification and implantation of logistic improvements, basically concerning transport issues. News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 9 Printing of labels Sequence assembly Sequence packaging Loading containers Transport Reception and delivery of product line Assembly of GA component on customer production line Sequencing point Sheet metal workshop Paint shop We take part in Forums on Auto Part Standardisation (Odette) and internal diffusion of the new logistic standards. We cooperate with the Computer Systems Department in adjusting new technologies to our logistic processes. JIS: distinguishing element of the Logistic Plants (Sequenced diagram) JIS, or “Just in Sequence”, implies a variation of the JIT concept formulated by Toyota. If “Just In Time” meant to deliver “what is needed, when it is required and in the correct quantity”, the JIS system adds the phrase: “and in the right order”. The sequencing emerges from the OEMs’ need to diversify their products, outsourcing stocks and transferring advanced assembly operations to their suppliers, while continuing to share the principles of flexible manufacturing and diversity generation during assembly. Sequencing basically means: 1- Integrating the manufacturing orders from our customers: the OEMs establish their assembly order after the Paint Shop, in what is known as the “sequencing point”. The information concerning any vehicle that correlatively goes through that point is electronically transmitted to our logistic centres. 2- Adapting the rate of production: the computer systems at our plants interpret the information at the sequencing point and print out labels corresponding to the specific production orders, according to our customers' rate of production. News Grupo Antolin 10 Winter 2008 Assembly workshop 3- And delivering our product “just in time”: The time that goes by from the sequencing point to the assembly point of our product for the customer is the delivery period for our JIS centres. These periods are normally very small, around 2 hours, which obliges the logistic plants to be in the immediate vicinity of our customers’ factories. What direction are we moving in? Our department is convinced that logistics will be a strategic means for achieving important goals at Grupo Antolin, especially those oriented towards excellence in service and cost. We face the challenges that appear before us with hope and excitement, due to the continuous evolution of Logistics in our market: · Consolidating our industrial network of JIT plants, as a means of gaining projects and customers. · Globalising markets and products, where developing countries and their derived logistic costs are given greater importance. · Implanting new logistic resources and standards, in collaboration with our customers. · Optimising the chain of supply on a global scale. We hope and wish that you now have a clearer vision of the mission, functions and purpose of the Central Logistics Department at Grupo Antolin. Q Pilar Defez KAM Fiat Group and Trucks - DOES clients Broadening horizons New products, new countries In following up the line to diversify and extend the market that characterizes Grupo Antolin, it is evident that the truck sector is going full steam ahead. With the cooperation of the Marketing Department, in its “Trucks Overview” report of November 2007, with input from our new customers and the information available on the Internet, this report has been put together with the aim of broadening your knowledge of this sector by taking a brief look at its main manufacturers When we think of trucks, expressions like high tonnage, distribution, and long distance often spring to mind. In fact, two criteria - weight and final use - are used to classify these vehicles. With respect to tonnage, we can distinguish between lightweight, medium or heavy trucks. Depending on their final use, we can classify the trucks by: delivery, distribution, long distance and construction. The truck industry in Europe has undergone a consolidation process from the 1970s until the present time, going from 39 constructors in the market to them forming an association, and finally with the emergence of 6 large groups. News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 11 In 1996 the main brands with presence in Europe were 39... Mercedes Volvo Grafu Stift Lancia Scania Ford BMC Unic Saurer Fiat Leyland Krupp OAF Berliet Bussing Henschel Willeme Seddon Guy Steyr Commer Atkinson Dennis DAF Magirus Berna OM ERF Astra Hotchkiss Barreiros Bernard Bedford Saviem Pegaso FTF Dodge MAN Foden In 2006 they are reduced to 6 groups, and their sales volume in vehicles is... Daimler ..........241.515 Paccar ............124.406 Scania ............ 53.365 Volvo Group ....177.106 MAN .............. 53.379 Iveco .............. 43.364 Source: Swedish Industry Report, September 2006 2007 Market situation Due to the current outsourcing processes for production and the appearance of new markets, the transport of goods by land and sea has been reactivated, with a positive influence on the growth of world demands for trucks. In fact, various manufacturers who have been consulted confirm that sustained growth oscillates between 10% and 15% of their current output predicted for the next 5 years. VOLVO TRUCKS Volvo Renault Trucks Mack UD Nissan Diesel MAN MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG ERF Star Neoplan PACCAR Kenworth Peterbilt DAF DAIMLER TRUCKS Mercedes Freightliner Sterling Western Star Thomas Built Mitsubishi Fuso IVECO Iveco Astra Seddon Atkinson Iribus SCANIA Scania Euroepan truck manufacturers - Their brands Daimler Trucks Volvo Trucks Paccar Operating under the current name of Daimler Trucks, this constructor comprises the following makes: Mercedes Benz, on sale in the European market, Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses for the North American market and Mitsubishi Fuso in Asia. This Swedish group consists of several different business sectors: Trucks, Buses, Construction and Equipment, Volvo Engines, Air Volvo and Volvo Financial Services. Paccar is a group of companies that designs and produces commercial vehicles, and lightweight, medium and heavy trucks, using the brandnames of Kenworth, Peterbilt motors and DAF, as well as providing financial services, information technology and auto parts. Daimler Trucks ranks top for sales as well as representing the benchmark in quality for all the other competitors. Daimler Trucks has its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and plants in North America, Central Europe, Latin America, Japan and Turkey. News Grupo Antolin 12 Winter 2008 The truck sector in the Volvo Group represents almost 70% of its net sales and is integrated by Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, acquired in 1991 including its North American Mack and Nissan Diesel division, which was purchased by Volvo in 2007. Volvo has a global presence, with plants in the USA, South America, Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia. As new implantations, Volvo will be present at the beginning of 2009 in Turkey, and in Kaluga, Russia, at the end of the same year. They are based in Washington, with plants located in Canada, Mexico, and Australia for the Kenworth and Peterbilt brandnames. For the DAF make they have factories in Europe for local production (Central and Eastern Europe) and for exportation to Asia, Africa and North America. In the truck sector, their products are classified according to use: local and regional distribution, national distribution, and long distance. Euro 2, 3, 4 and 5: European regulation on the environmental restrictions for the pollution reduction Total truck sales, with more than 6 tonnes, in Western Europe. Source: J.D.Power Automotive Forecasting First contacts of Grupo Antolin During the present year Grupo Antolin has entered into contact with three of these big constructors: Volvo Trucks, Scania and MAN. points in their strategy; for Scania, attaining an excellent standard of quality and increasing output figure amongst their objectives. The truck market is characterized by the long-term presence of its models (10-12 years), by the lengthy duration of its current suppliers, and sometimes by the slightly obsolete technologies used for the interior trim. Within such a state of diversity, Grupo Antolin appears attractive to these constructors because of its global position, its profound technological knowledge, and because of the wide range of products it offers, along with the great line of innovation we have been following up over the past few years. Logically, every customer has their own objectives. In the case of Volvo, the search for global suppliers or their implantation in Russia and Asia constitute key 2008 will clearly be a decisive year for our incursion in this market, this being a task in which we hope to emerge triumphant. Q Iveco Scania Iveco is considered to rank sixth in terms of sales turnover in Europe. It produces trucks of all ranges, industrial vehicles, vehicles for construction and for special uses (firemen, civil defence, etc.) Scania es un Scania is a Swedish group founded in 1891 that makes and sells trucks of great tonnage, for long distance transport, construction and distribution, as well as public services... Furthermore, it also produces engines for buses and various other applications. Apart from its European presence, Iveco, either on its own or in alliance with other companies, has production plants in China, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa. Scania marks itself off from its competitors by aiming to reach a high level of quality in its products. Its benchmark competitors are Mercedes, on account of their standard of quality, and Volvo trucks for their sales turnover. Iveco stands out in its quest for comfort and its attention to interior design in the manufacture of its various models. News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 13 Plastics Rubber International and Department of Industrial Design Grupo Antolin Trade Fair designing the future Concept car Citroën-Cactus, 2007 eXasis. Prototype done by Rinspeed and Bayer This was held in Dusseldorf from 24th to 31st October. GA visited the K2007 trade fair, one of the most important for the sector on a global scale This year the K’07 has broken records with respect to the number of exhibiting companies (over 3,000), number of professional visitors (over 200,000), being the biggest plastics and rubber trade fair in the world. The exhibition focussed mainly on energy efficiency, protection of the environment, sustainability and innovations in the field of production and transformation of plastics. News Grupo Antolin 14 Winter 2008 Alerted to the importance the choice of one material or another can have for the final success of the product, independent centres have been set up Bayer's stand Armchair Shadowde Gaetano Pesce, made with Bayfit(® where engineers and designers offer advice on how to improve a product, answering technical questions and give suggestions about adequate tools and procedures for respecting the design that has already been worked out for the product. This amounts to experts in materials, textures, and colour helping to make plastic products a reality. Samples of different types of plastic materials Innovation in textures Nowadays, apart from the multiple shapes that can be generated thanks to its modelling properties, plastic enables different textures to be obtained in the same process along with different characteristics for the type of surface. It is possible to achieve a plastic object with the appearance of another material (metal, wood, ceramics...), or that even has a surprising feel to it. Our current society is inconceivable without plastic. Its potential for innovation still has many fields left to be explored: all the experts coincide in pointing out that the growth of this dynamic industry will continue to be unstoppable. More and more designers are taking the tactile properties of their products into account, particularly in the car industry, where the user is in contact with many of the parts inside. The sense of touch helps to make some surfaces more attractive than others. The fact is that plastic admits a versatility that has not been achieved with any other material that has been tried until now. Ever since the appearance of Bakelite in 1907, in which the designers of ArtDeco found the perfect fetish for giving shape to their new designs, up to the new smart plastics that respond to stimuli, there has never been an industrial application or everyday environment that can resist having more than one plastic element in one of their infinite number of applications, shapes, textures and colours. The development of a product also requires its tactile properties to be optimised, and, although it may be an arduous task to discover the secrets of leather, designers rely on tools that enable us to discover textures, properties and combinations that can surprise and conquer a customer, winning over their trust in a particular product. The new technologies for developing plastic and plastic finishes offer us a wide range of possibilities for the final product to have greater added value that can be appreciated by the user. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 15 Marketing department Grupo Antolin clients Suppliers’ day at SEAT Commitment to Quality A meeting of over 80 suppliers on the national and international scene, which took place in the facilities of SEAT in Martorell last October 2nd, managed to bring together the top executives of the main companies that supply SEAT, as well as a large part of the directors at SEAT, led by its President, Erich Schmitt. The meeting was also attended by our CEO, José Manuel Temiño News Grupo Antolin 16 Winter 2008 “ I consider Suppliers’ Day to be a day of special interest, in particular because of the explanations given concerning the strategic lines that will enable us to guarantee the survival of SEAT in such a competitive and saturated market. Erich Schmitt, President of SEAT Furthermore, they also set out the objectives clearly as far as quality is concerned, and the observance The President of SEAT was charged with personally conveying his express wish to the suppliers to make them very actively involved in quality assurance for SEAT products, inviting them, as he said, to “take part in the process of creating a more competitive and modern company through the joint search for new solutions that allow productive processes to be improved, guaranteeing the high standards of quality of the product”. Likewise, he highlighted the fact that “quality does not only have to be present in our products and processes. It also has to be an unavoidable factor at SEAT centres and their local environment. Everything that surrounds SEAT has to breathe quality”. With this spirit of mutual cooperation, the President of SEAT explained in detail to the people present the meaning of the principal aspects included in the 2018 Strategy with respect to the development of new models, and the objectives involving brand internationalisation, as well as the commercial targets and increase in production of up to 800,000 units. The issue of mundoSEAT, a publication by SEAT employees, included the opinions of some of those present at the Suppliers’ Day, including that of, José Manuel Temiño. Q of deadlines in times that are becoming more and more demanding, committing the suppliers to achieve these aims in the short term. Grupo Antolin accepts these challenges as its own, making the resources available that are required for such ” achievement José Manuel Temiño, CEO of Grupo Antolin Ralf Brandstätter, Sales Manager at SEAT News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 17 Renault Laguna Seeking to be a PREMIUM automobile Marketing department Grupo Antolin The third generation of the Laguna arrives at the dealers with a classic appearance, an impeccable interior and a surprisingly elegant exterior. Grupo Antolin cooperates in the final result Ever since the first Laguna was launched in 1994, more than 2.3 million of the first two versions have been sold, but the story continues with this third generation, which is manufactured at the French plant in Sandouville with annual output predicted to reach 180,000 units. To date, two different types of coachwork have been presented: the sedan and the Grand Tour, with the Laguna Coupé scheduled to be launched in spring 2008. Grupo Antolin is included in the list of suppliers for this vehicle, specifically from the plants of GA IGA and GA Vosges, where the headliners and sunvisors are produced respectively, and JIT in Sandouville, which provides logistics services for the headliner. For the coupe version Grupo Antolin is going to de- News Grupo Antolin 18 Winter 2008 Key factors for the new Renault Laguna Excellence in quality Renault has invested 1,000 million euros in the development of this new sedan, 600 million euros of which correspond to R&D tasks, with a further 400 million euros to adapt the plant for its production liver the first roof with hybrid technology. To prepare for the return of Renault to the top of the range, in this new Laguna an attempt has been made to bring together robustness and reliability in the same product. In this way, Renault hopes to reach the top 3 in a segment as difficult as that of Premium sedans, competing with models like the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes C Class or the Audi A4, a target set by Carlos Ghosn, president of the company in the triennial plan “Contract 2009”. In order to achieve this, 3,200,000 kilometres of tests were carried out in various different parts of the world. In addition, in the Sandouville factory, run by Spanish engineer Luis Fernández, quality controllers have been introduced, which go beyond electronic control systems used by virtually all manufacturers in their assembly lines. The new controllers include for example not only the visual inspection of the car but also putting on gloves of very fine material and touching the surfaces to find potential imperfections that the gloves might get caught on. Therefore, each vehicle is individually examined for 14 minutes, including a movement test. Design With respect to its predecessor, many aspects have changed, both in the interior and also outside. Through features that appear to be so simple but are well defined, this new generation has a plus in aesthetics. In the exterior, the smoothness of the elements at the front make the emblem of the French brand stand out. The line along the sides is similar to that of the previous generation, but the shape has been streamlined to make it more attractive to the public at large. As far as the rear is concerned, the lights stand out with their angular shapes, including leds. However it is in the interior that the most profound change is really apparent. The dashboard adopts a horizontal layout and the main console is low down without any vertical continuity. The controls on the console are behind the gear lever, and thus the distribution of these items approaches that of the most important vehicles made by German manufacturers. It retains its access and startup using a card from the previous generation although in the Renault Laguna III, this system will include more functions. Furthermore, the traditional handbrake is replaced by an electrohydraulic one consisting of a small lever, thereby freeing up space between the seats. Safety Another of the key aspects in this new Renault is safety. With this in mind there is a double airbag that protects the thorax and pelvis and inflates at different speeds, depending on the violence of the impact, which is determined by two sensors located in the front doors and central pillar. However, in spite of the inclusion of more safety elements, and the fact that it is bigger than the previous generation, the engineers at Renault have produced a model that weighs 17 kg less than the previous one, by attending to details such as the replacement of traditional bolts with socket-head screws, so as to save a total of 700 grams, or to save approximately 20 kg of steel in its construction. Due to all these substantial changes doubts were expressed about whether to keep the name Laguna for this third generation, but in the final decision there were two key factors, one of which was that the president of the company, Carlos Ghosn, was in favour of keeping it, and the other factor was that a change of name would entail an investment of between 80 and 100 million euros. For Renault, the new Laguna is much more than the third generation of a relatively successful model. This sedan should become the basic cornerstone of the make in this new stage currently being embarked on. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 19 New Grupo Antolin seat factory in Jarny, France On 13th November 2007, Grupo Antolin, represented by Marie Hélène Antolin, Fernando Sanz and François Rosen, met in Nancy, in the region of Lorraine in France, with the local authorities to present Grupo Antolin’s new product in the industrial area of Jarny Giraumont, Meurthe-etMoselle,where a new seat manufacturing plant is to be erected: Grupo Antolin – Jarny This project represents an investment of approximately 10 million euros for the construction of facilities covering 10,000 m2 and will provide employment to nearly 135 workers. The plant will supply complete seats in sequence to Renault Batilly for the new generation of the Renault Master. Building will commence in the coming weeks and in a few months’ time we will be announcing the opening ceremony. From left to right: Philippe Damiens, François Rosen and Fernando Sanz Giménez-Rico News Grupo Antolin 20 Winter 2008 the photo From left to right: Fernando Sanz Giménez-Rico, Mª Hélène Antolin, Michel Dinet, Jean-Pierre Masseret, René Mangin, Jean-Yves Le Déaut News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 21 news in brief in brief Sara Guadilla 7 years old from GA-Palencia First prize Category A Kaho Wakui 7 years old from GA-Japan Second prize Category A Painting Competition ‘07 Once again Grupo Antolin goes all Christmas with the youngsters, organising the traditional Prize-Giving Ceremony for the Painting Competition. It gives us all great joy to realise that every day there are more and more kids amongst us and even more so when we see that with each passing year we receive more paintings from all over the world. The excitement with which the youngsters draw their pictures, and their cheerful smiles, fill us with satisfaction and motivation. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made the 2007 festival possible, especially the children since, without them, not only would our painting competition not make any sense but Christmas…would just not be Christmas. Q News Grupo Antolin 22 Winter 2008 Felipe Agripino 7 years old from GA-Silao (Mexico) Third prize Category A Hanne Coman 11 years old from GA-Logistik Deutschland First Prize Category B Christopher Ramírez 10 years old from GA-Silao, Sonora (Mexico) Second prize Category B Ricco Naidoo 11 years old from GA-South Africa Third prize Category B Grupo Antolin broadens its relations with the Fiat Group On 18th July, in the Multi-purpose Room at the Mirafiori Motor Village in Turin, a meeting was held between Grupo Antolin and the Fiat Group. During this meeting several presentations were made for the products of our company and also for the innovations taking place. A wide range of GA products were selected to accompany the presentations. These products were also exhibited throughout the day, with explanations given by several experts from Grupo Antolin, who went there specifically for the event. There were over 70 guests, including important executives from Fiat such as: Carlos Selgas (Grupo Antolin-Ingenieria) during one of the presentations at the conference. · Stefano Ra Fiorentin, Head of Innovation. Through this type of activity and those carried out by the commercial area, it is hoped to collaborate with the Fiat Group in their launch of future cars, establishing the basis of what we hope will be the start of a long and fruitful relationship. Q · Roberto Di Stefano, Head of Chemical Purchasing. · Giancarlo Bertoldi, Head of Engineering and Interior Design. Toyota visits BURGOS The main offices of Grupo Antolin in Burgos, Grupo Antolin-Eurotrim and Cidaut received an important visit on 8th October from Toyota, represented by Junichi Harada (General Manager - Body Engineering Div. I), Tatsuya Hattori (General Manager - Interior Design Dept. No.11, Body Engineering Div. I) and Takashi Mogami (General Manager - Interior Design Dept. No.11, Body Engineering Div. I). During their visit they were told about the projects in which we are currently collaborating and expressed great interest in the concept of flat wiring and vibration absorption systems for the roof bodywork. From left to right: Fernando Rey – Director of Innovation and Marketing (Grupo Antolin), Takashi Mogami, Junichi Harada, Pablo Baroja – Director of Africa-Asia-Pacific Operations (Grupo Antolin), Tatsuya Hattori and Yasuhiro Katsuta – Key Account Manager (Grupo Antolin) News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 23 Grupo Antolin North America with minority suppliers On September 20th, 2007, Grupo Antolin North America participated as an exhibitor in Chrysler’s 8th annual Matchmaker event held at Chrysler’s Tech Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. We also supported Toyota’s Opportunity Exchange as an exhibitor on November 13th, 2007 at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati, OH. The purpose of these events is to provide business opportunities for over 200 minority businesses with OEMs and its Tier-1 suppliers. A minority business is defined as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation of which a minimum of 51% is owned by minority persons. In the case of a proprietorship, the minority owners must be engaged in the daily management, control, and operation of the business concern. In the case of a corporation, the minority stockholders must be in control of the management and daily business operations, and the majority of the Board of Directors must be minority group members. The National Minority Supplier Development Council’s (NMSDC) definition of minority-owned businesses includes: Wendel Martin, Purchasing Department, Grupo Antolin North America · African American (must be American citizens) that are taken to try and work with some of these minority suppliers includes: · Hispanic American · Meeting with suppliers to give them an opportunity to present their company to the GANA purchasing department. · Native American · Asian-Pacific American · Asian-Indian American Our objective at events like these is to meet new minority suppliers with the intention to make long lasting relationships that will lead to lower cost as well as increased quality. Additionally, we are using events like these to raise the marketing awareness of Grupo Antolin within the industry, showing our support to our OEMs so they can reach the goals that they have set for themselves for diversity spend. After a trade show, some of the actions Technical Dictionary (Grupo Antolin Intranet) Included in the wide range of applications and functions offered by Grupo Antolin’s own Intranet service is a new tool: The Technical Dictionary. This is a web application enabling a store of technical items to be built up that are frequently used in our work environment. It is often the case that a simple term is used in different ways and with different meanings in different departments, countries, factories, etc., which may lead to misunderstandings and communication problems. This all makes it necessary to have News Grupo Antolin 24 Winter 2008 · Having suppliers quote to see how competitive their pricing is compared to our current business. · Requesting suppliers quotation for new business with the opportunity to be awarded. By continuing to show support for the OEMs with attending these minority trade shows and working with minority suppliers, it can only help us in the long run. We will continue to grow with our customer and be regarded as a preferred Tier-1 supplier partner. Q a common store of terms, where any user with access to the Intranet can indicate different concepts and their meanings, as well as being able to consult all the information recorded in the dictionary. The information is maintained in six languages (Spanish, English, French, German, Czech and Portuguese), so that apart from making it possible for any user to be able to record and amend any item, it also offers a completely customised technical dictionary incorporating the special jargon used by the Group. In order to be able to access this application, the user need only to access the pop-up menu on the Intranet bar at the top of the screen, "Tools" and select the option ‘Technical Dictionary’. Q 4.379.286 -35,15% 2.840.101 3.035.116 -1,49% -8,37% 909.749 1.930.352 2.000.457 1.034.659 1.135.724 1.076.245 826.986 1.081.982 1.800.000 3.146.399 2,18% 2.010.675 3.079.221 -17,44% 2.002.976 2.902.767 3.297.304 -14,83% 2.700.000 TOTAL 3.729.753 3.600.000 900.000 ELECTRICITY GAS 4.500.000 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Summary chart showing evolution of consumption in the last 6 years Energy Consumption Savings at Central Office From 2002 to 2007, the General Services Department carried out various actions to reduce the consumption of energy in the building. In the summary chart we can analyse our energy consumption (gas and electricity) expressed in Kwh. As can be seen, in 2003 consumption decreased by nearly 15% because of modifications made to the heating system in the main building. Such modifications were based on the incorporation of a system using gas boilers for the heating, in conjunction with the heat pumps not being used as a heating system, but reserved for use as a cooling system instead. In 2004 consumption fell by more than 17% from the previous year, due to a bypass being made in the heating systems of the 1st and 2nd extensions, as well as the bypass running between the gas coolers of the 2nd extension and one of the current refrigeration towers. Thus, it is possible to make the 2nd extension of the building cold virtually for free, providing we have external temperatures of below 10 ºC. During 2005, no proposals were made and thus the variation in consumption was merely due to its readjustment. Figueruelas is celebrating its first 25 years as the most innovative GM plant In 2006 various suggestions were put forward to save energy: Changes in the types of lights and lowcost lamps in the auditorium, toilets, halls and presidential area. Adjustments to the timetables / air-conditioning temperatures, depending on the needs of each moment. Control of the valves and fans in all the fancoils in the building, so that when the room reaches the programmed temperature, the fans stop and the energy stops flowing through the fancoils, generating energy savings in both gas and electricity. In 2007 various proposals have been put forward: Replacing the reactances for the screens in the main building and 1st extension for electronic ballasts. This change will lead to a 25% saving in consumption for these screens. Adjustment of timetables for switching lights on / off. Running a bypass between the cooling installations in the 1st extension and those in the 2nd extension and the refrigeration tower, along with the incorporation of a buffer store for refrigerated water. Over the past 5 years until the present time, we have achieved energy savings amounting to more than 35%. These energy savings have made it possible for us to cease emitting 1,815 Tons of CO2 and 4,957 Tons of SO2 per year. Q Figueruelas is the most recent investment on a large scale made in Spain, not only in the car industry but also with regard to any other industrial or business sector. Despite the fact that it has been up and running for 25 years, it is the second most modern factory in Spain, after the SEAT plant in Martorell. Since the year 2000, to ensure that it remains up to date, 1,600 million euros have been poured into the plant, 550 million of which have been spent over the past two years. Although originally set up to build only one type of car, for commercial reasons part of its facilities were devoted to producing the Opel Kadett for a certain period of time before going back to specialising in the Opel Corsa. With the appearance of the second generation of this model, which was a great success, it reached record figures for output. However, when this version came to the end of its life, along with the lower rate of success for the Corsa III, it was left to fade away for a few years until it was decided to add a second model, known as the Meriva, which helped it climb back up to former levels of production. In any case, it has always been a competitive factory, and this has allowed it to attract new production models in competition with new plants from eastern countries, such as the factory in Gliwice, Poland, from whom it has wrested the second generation of Merivas. GA delivers to Opel Figueruelas the headliners for the Corsa, Meriva and Combo. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 25 Riaan Goosen (left), receives the plaque from Hal Feder GA South Africa continues to grow Tokyo Motor Show After Frankfurt's emphasis on environmental issues and CO2 reduction, Tokyo - theme: 'Catch the News, Touch the Future' - is a lot lighter in mood and full of catching and fun concepts. The 40th edition of the Tokyo Motor Show opened Saturday, October 27 for the public and run through Sunday, November 11. The Japanese Auto Manufacturers Association says that 241 companies from 11 countries showed 520 vehicles, with 71 billed as "world premieres."A closer look shows that this number includes commercial vehicles, motorcycles and an extremely generous interpretation of "premiere." Moreover, there are a healthy helping of whimsical or far-out concepts that will never progress to production in this tally, as well. Still, if even one-half of the 37 passenger cars so dubbed as new are indeed significant, then Tokyo will be a show to note. The product proposals resulting from the ongoing "Green" debates over Climate Change and man-made CO2 gases, regulated exhaust emissions and fuel economy continue to be the main issues since the Frankfurt Motor Show. Q The Ford Q1 prize was awarded to Grupo Antolin Port Elizabeth at our South African Head Office. Riaan Goosen, CEO of Grupo Antolin South Africa was honoured to receive the Q1 Plaque & Flag from Hal Feder, CEO of Ford Motor Company South Africa, during a formal hand-over ceremony in Port Elizabeth on 25th October 2007. Mr. Goosen stated that this achievement was only made possible through team effort and commitment towards success. Our goal towards Customer & Employee satisfaction is our base and the contributing factor to our successes achieved, during the last decade in South Africa and this achievement compliments our status world-wide as a FORD-preferential supplier. Grupo Antolin Port Elizabeth started its headliners’ production during 1997 with a small market segment & financial turnover and only supplied one OEM Customer at the time. During the last 10 years, we’ve grown from strength to strength to the current situation where Grupo Antolin South Africa supplies 5 of the 6 local OEMs in the country. The year 2007 marked several astounding achievements and we trust through ambition and dedication, 2008, will proof to be even more extraordinary. Q News Grupo Antolin 26 Winter 2008 Group picture of all Volkswagen Award winners in all the categories GA-Navarra received 1st prize for best suppliers to the Volkswagen Group On 16th May 2007 the prize-giving ceremony was held on the island of Majorca for the “Volkswagen Group Awards”, which are given to the best suppliers to the Volkswagen Group. The ceremony was presided over by Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management at VW AG and Francisco J. García Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at VW AG and with responsibility for "Procurement". Volkswagen Navarra for the entire range of the Polo VW240. The annual volume of deliveries is for approximately 220,000 vehicles. We take this opportunity to offer our sincerest congratulations to all the employees of GA-Navarra who have made it possible to achieve such success with our customer Volkswagen. Q Ernesto Antolin with the prize at the left side of Francisco Javier García Sanz, Procurement Director of VW consortium and Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn greeted the 250 guests by saying that “last year the Volkswagen Group delivered more vehicles to all major markets worldwide than ever before”. “Our thanks go to all representatives of our award winners present here this evening, and in particular to all employees and sites around the world for their extraordinary dedication”. The “Group Award” is presented in 5 categories, which play a crucial role in relations with suppliers: Excellence in Development, Product Quality, Logistics, Environmental Awareness and Entrepreneurial Performance. GA-Navarra was one of the 25 winners and obtained first prize in the category of Product Quality, which was collected by Ernesto Antolin. GA-Navarra supplies AGTs, (Door structural cassettes), Door Panels and headliners. These are all delivered in sequence to News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 27 Goodbye, PST, goodbye… Dave Carr of Chysler collected the prize The SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) awards the DTM –Door Trim Module- of Grupo Antolin On Wednesday 7th, 2007, Grupo Antolin received a major award for innovation in the body interior category with the Door Trim Module assembled to the C segment platform of Chrysler (Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot). The prize was awarded to Dave Carr, Senior Manager Body Hardware and Closures of Chrysler, for the exceptional application of our DTM product to the C segment platform for Chrysler. After several weeks of reviews and presentations, Grupo Antolin remained as a finalist jointly with other competitors including other door module competitor. In the category of body interior, the DTM was up against products of our direct competence. The advantages recognized, were the exclusivity to deliver the complete module sequenced to the line and offering a weight reduction of around 10% as well as a cost reduction of around $10 and $17 per vehicle. Also recognized were the simplicity in design and assembly, the high level of integration and the reduction of labor and floor space in the customer’s plant. In the same Gala, they were also recognized top executives from suppliers and clients that have demonstrated dedication and support to the plastic industry. Within the honored executives was Hiroaki Yamamoto, Chief Technology Officer of Green Tokai Company with the Special SPE Honor; Lawrence Burns, Vice-president, R&D and Strategic Planning at General Motors with the Global Executive Engineering Leadership Award and finally James Queen, Group Vice-president for Global Engineering at General Motors with the Executive Leadership Award. In closing, this award to Grupo Antolin recognizes the excellent team work carried out by all the members of the different departments of the company that have made the DTM, a reality, a success, and a milestone in the history of Grupo Antolin. Q News Grupo Antolin 28 Winter 2008 Every day the quantity and critical nature of the information that we accumulate in our mail box increases because of its use as a valuable historical store of information. Therefore it is absolutely essential to create a fast, reliable, and efficient storage system to keep such data, optimising the backup copy and resources to be used, and making access to this information as universal and transparent as possible for the users. Until recently, because of the space limitations in mail boxes, a large part of these history records were stored in .pst files (personal folders), From now on, on behalf of the Information Systems Department, we announce the launch of a new highly accessible Backup system for our e-mail system, which for the moment will only be available for users at Central Office. The solution implanted is EMC EmailExtender 4.8, which increases the quantity of information that can be stored in each mail box, with it being possible to move current .pst files there. Users can access all their e-mails in their mail box from any location using Outlook or Webmail. Focussing on the user, EmailXtender maintains all the e-mail headings in Outlook or Webmail. However, it saves all the files attached included in e-mail messages that are more than three months old, with the same level of security and confidentiality as the other e-mail servers. Thus, it reduces the space occupied by the mail box and prepares it for recovery in just a matter of seconds in a way that is totally transparent for the user. Q 1st PRIZE awarded to Grupo Antolin in 8th edition of Internet Awards for Castilla y León Grupo Antolin has obtained First Prize in the eighth edition of the Castilla y León Internet Awards for 2007, sponsored by the Ministry responsible for Public Works in the Regional Government of Castilla y León. Information and communication technologies have undoubtedly experienced a real boom in recent years, with Internet in particular becoming a globalisation tool for business opportunities and also an instrument for personal use on a daily basis to access information, communications and services. Within the context of the activities carried out by the Ministry responsible for Public Works to promote the information society, the Castilla y León Internet Awards have the following aims: · To contribute to sustaining regional growth by applying new information technologies in ways that are of service to both private individuals and to companies. · To encourage telematic innovation so that it subsequently boosts the use of telecommunications and information technologies in all spheres of activity. · To recognise and reward excellence at work by both individuals and companies whose efforts have made them stand out in their contribution to the development of Internet. On 29th November 2007, the Minister responsible for Public Works in the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Antonio Silván, presided over the 8th prize-giving ceremony for the Castilla y León Internet Awards at the Teatro Calderón in Valladolid, the aim of which is to recognise the work performed by all those that use the Net as part of their daily activities. From left to right.: Javier Arce, Jesús Terciado, Rodrigo García and the TV presenter Minerva Piquero Grupo Antolin was awarded First Prize in the Company category, for the development and implantation of their GA Suppliers Portal, which has meant a huge leap forward in the way business processes are managed involving the Group’s various partners and their suppliers. The use of state-of-the-art technologies in managing procedures for self-billing, self-financing, management and updating of data for corporate ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), etc, places Grupo Antolin at the forefront of technology for companies in this sector, both at national and European level. Few businesses in the international context incorporate services in their management systems like the ones Grupo Antolin makes available to its suppliers, with this being a contributory factor in the improvement of the technological image of the company perceived by both customers and suppliers. The GA Suppliers Portal is an patent ex- ample of how making the most out of the new technologies offered by the Information Society can enable a company to obtain huge benefits by, on the one hand, introducing improvements in the business processes that already existed in the company and, on the other, by broadening business horizons with the contribution of new possibilities and services placed on the market. Rodrigo García (responsible for the area of Development of Information Systems Management) and Javier Arce (Technician in the Area of Development and the person responsible for the project) received the prize from Jesús Terciado, president of the regional employers’ organisation. Such recognition supports and endorses the commitment that Grupo Antolin has always expressed with respect to using the latest technologies to support its business models and proves that we are not only doing things properly in this respect, but also that we are doing them better than anyone else. Q ISO 14001 Certificate for CATOS In October 2007, Chongqing Antolin Toupu Overhead Systems Co. Ltd. (CATOS), located in Chongqing City in China, obtained their environmental certificate in accordance with ISO Standard 14001. TÜV Rheinland, the body that awards this certificate, valued very highly the level of implication and knowledge of the partners on the system and the segregation at origin of all types of waste products. For this reason we would like to congratulate the work team that has made it possible to achieve this certificate. This is just another milestone along the way, because the final goal of Grupo Antolin is to integrate environmental liability into all our companies. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 29 Team members of GA Shanghai in the new premises: First row (from left to right) Pascal Liu Raymond Zhang Angela Hong Kevin Zhang Sandy Yan Jerry Sun William Wang Bill Cai Second row (from left to right) Yummy Yang Tony Wang Joshua Chen Joe Ma Steven Yu Farnan Rushe Howard Zhang Missing from the photo Ella Chen Seth Wang Vicky Song Jason Dang Bella Zhang The new office of GA Shanghai is located in the buildings, which named City Center Shanghai News Grupo Antolin 30 Winter 2008 GA Shanghai moves office At the end of August 2007, Grupo Antolin Shanghai moved offices, from downtown Shanghai to the more accessible area of Hongqiao, to the west of the city. The new office is almost twice the size of the previous one, allowing the continuous expansion of Grupo Antolin’s activity in China. On Friday August 31st, all employees of the office came to work ready for a long day. Everyone packed their own items, and then joined forces to prepare the communal areas such as video-conference facilities, meeting rooms, etc. After a minor hiccup with the transport company (they informed us one hour before arriving that they were going on strike!), a new moving company was found. The following Monday, final touches were made, with everyone settling in to the new environment, and by lunch-time, the office was up and running, and back to business as usual. The new office is bright and spacious, being located in an important business district of Shanghai, closer to our plant in Shanghai and with easy access to major roads, public transport, hotels and numerous restaurants. The reception desk of new office Grupo Antolin Shanghai Representative Office was set up in February 2004, and currently employs 18 people. The main functions of the office are Commercial, Project Management, Engineering Support and Supplier Management, covering the three main product areas of the Group. The office supplies support in these areas, not just for Grupo Antolin in the expanding Chinese market, but also for Grupo Antolin worldwide. Future expansion will include Human Resources and finance, as well as strengthening our Engineering, Purchasing and Supplier Quality Assistance. As the automotive industry is developing quickly in China with a foreseeable year to year increase of sales at 15%-20%,more investment will be made in this country, and continuous effort will be made to create stronger team and higher competence. Q Did You Know... Ford Q1 acknowledgement for our plants in Mexico On 15th November this year the Ford Motor Company presented the factories of the Mexican Door Company and International Door Systems with their Q1 certificate of recognition in a ceremony in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Among those present at the ceremony were the Industrialisation Vice-president of GA North America, Pablo Ucar, who received the Q1 plaque from Ford Mexico’s STA Manager, Eduardo Villegas. The event was also attended by personnel from the Management of Ford Hermosillo, from Ford Purchasing and STA Ford of Mexico. During the first part of the ceremony, Pablo Ucar expressed the corporative message, in the name of the North American territory, remarking on the effort and dedication of the staff at all levels working for the Mexican Door Company (MDC) and International Door Systems (IDS); he also commended the Plant Director, José Antonio Casado, and his Quality Manager, Horacio Hurtado, for having achieved this Quality certification along with all the work teams, which is so essential and important. In the first part of 2006, both plants began their preparation for obtaining the Q1 certificate by implementing a Quality system in ISO/TS16949:2002, which was certified on December 2006 and certified again quite recently. Following that, they went after the ISO14001:2004 Environmental Quality system certificate, which they obtained in April 2007, continuing with the evaluation of the material and loading system (MMOG), the positive tendencies in PPM benchmarks, in punctual deliveries, and the on-thespot evaluations by Ford (MSA) with satisfactory results. Finally, following the approval of different sections at Ford (Q1 endorsements), both plants manage to obtain the Q1 certificate on 10th August 2007. Thanks to all the staff of MDC / IDS for your participation and keen ambition to be the best. Congratulations! Q …some 4,300 headliners an hour came off the production lines of all the plants of Grupo Antolin worldwide during 2007? …of the approximately 68.500.000 vehicles manufactured in 2007, 41% correspond to the Africa – Asia – Pacific territory? Source: Marketing CorpDB Visit by the Brazilian State Secretary for Industry and Trade to Grupo Antolin On 9th November 2007, Grupo Antolin received a visit from Julio Noronha, Secretary for Industry and Trade for the State of Maranhão in Brazil. The purpose of the visit was to get to find out about our technological capacities. The visit was co-ordinated by Claudemir Claudio, Industrial Audit Director. On his arrival in Burgos, Julio Noronha was taken to the Grupo Antolin’s Main Offices, where he was received by our President, José Antolin. He was then taken on a tour of the installations in the company of Fernando Rey, Head of Innovation and Marketing, and was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. He then visited two of Grupo Antolin's factories in Burgos: Grupo Antolin Aragusa and Grupo Antolin Magnesio. At the end of the visits, Mr Noronha was full of praise for our company, and very impressed by our installations and human capital, and also by the technologies implanted in our companies. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 31 Marketing Department Grupo Antolin the history corner First Honda Motorcycle Soichiro Honda and his partner,Takeo Fujisawa Soichiro Honda Dreams give meaning to life “ His first motorbike was known by the nickname of “Bata bata” (because of the noise its ” engine made) News Grupo Antolin 32 Winter 2008 Soichiro Honda, the man that started the Honda Motor Company and godfather of the Japanese motorcycling industry, often used to change hobbies. He took up golf, painting, skiing, and aviation; he was keen on space exploration, and devoted much more than the mere interest of an amateur to all these activities, because when something attracted his attention, he tried it out in his own way, in depth. Without doubt, Honda possessed a creative and slightly obsessive mind: like almost any other genius, he had something of the madman in him and could be obstinate, which enabled him to fulfil his dreams Born on 17th November 1906 in Komyo, 270 km from Tokyo, in the region of Hamamatsu, Soichiro Honda was the eldest of a family of nine children. His father, Gihei Honda, was a blacksmith who worked as a bike mechanic, and the forge may well have been his first source of inspiration; this same interest and natural talent for anything mechanical increased considerably when he saw his first Ford T model at the age of eight and, once he had left school at the age of fifteen, he learnt the trade by working as an apprentice in Art Shokai, a Tokyo auto shop. Gradually he acquainted himself with the car industry until, at the age of 21 and now an expert mechanic, he was offered the position of manager of a branch in his home town. However, Soichiro did not have the mindset of an executive and soon started on a project of his own: a piston factory. The result? A spectacular failure. His pistons did not pass the quality tests. Nevertheless, far from feeling disheartened, Soichiro realised that his problem was a lack of skill and enrolled for a course at a technical college to learn metallurgy. After a couple of years studying, he returned to the ring and his piston factory started to prosper. But luck was still not on his side. At the end of World War II, Soichiro lost everything in a Japan that had been devastated by war. Nonetheless, in what seemed like a terrible setback, he found his big opportunity. He sold his factory to Toyota and devoted himself to thinking about other innovative ideas. His career was on the verge of being cut short in 1936, during the All-Japan Speed Rally, in which he crashed into another participant and was hurled out of the car. He came away from the accident with a dislocated shoulder, broken wrist and facial injuries which left deep scars. Racing with his brother, their average racing speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) stayed as the record in Japan for almost twenty years. In 1948, with his partner, Takeo Fujisawa, he founded the Honda Motor Company to make motorcycles. He received more than 100 patents and started new designs for motorbikes, converting it into the biggest motorcycle manufacturer. The first motorbike, which was too heavy, was a complete flop and Honda went bankrupt again. However, he did not let go of his dream but instead, produced a new bike that was lighter, faster and quieter. Sales rocketed. Soon the company was rolling out 9,000 units a month. Honda grew, set up new factories and expanded its output to 25,000 units a month. In contrast with all the other Japanese corporations, the corporative spirit of Honda did not place emphasis on collective triumphs but rather on individual initiative. The company grew thanks to an aggressive policy of signing talent and a strong commitment towards technology and innovation. “ Dreams give meaning to life. For this reason, I will continue to set myself new challenges until the day I die. ” We have to make our dreams come true Soichiro Honda Honda with a race car of the 70s Proof of this is the fact that Soichiro insisted on the right to occupy the presidency of the company being won on the basis of merit, and that this right should be passed on to a person that possessed outstanding qualities. All for the sake of encouraging and pressurising his employees to achieve the best results. And this philosophy has been the group’s guiding principle ever since. The company’s reputation grew when Honda motorcycles began to win international races. In the early 1960s, Soichiro expanded his activities to the car industry, setting himself an ambitious goal: that a Japanese vehicle should win a Formula 1 race, a dream that came true in 1965. In 1967, Honda decided to go for the production of small vehicles. When the oil crisis devastated the world in 1973, his consultants advised him to reduce output in order to raise prices. But Soichiro did exactly the opposite. He increased production and flooded the market with fuel-efficient Honda Civics. Meanwhile, the Accord demonstrated to Americans that the Japanese cars were not only cheap, but also reliable and furthermore were also attractive to look at. Soichiro Honda retired at the same time as Takeo Fujisawa, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the creation of Honda Motor Company, in September 1973, and devoted his attention to the Honda Foundation, which endeavoured to harmonise technology and ecology. Soichiro Honda died on 5th August 1991. He certainly more than fulfilled his dreams, as in 2006 Honda produced 3.6 million cars, 14 million engines of all types and 12.5 million motorcycles. A quotation that provides an excellent summary of the philosophy of this great visionary, one hundred years after his birth, retaining its validity and clearly representing the spirit of the company: “We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams if we have the courage to challenge convention.” Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 33 health “The senses” Eyesight and the use of computers Department of Human Resources Medical Department Grupo Antolin Vitreous cavity Lens The sclera External rectus muscle Pupil Human beings perceive the reality around them through sensations that are represented in the cerebral cortex. These sensations are picked up originally by sensory cells, a group of specific cells that are able to detect various aspects and characteristics in the surroundings and convert them into electrical impulses These electrical impulses travel along certain nerves until they reach the central nervous system, finally coming to the cerebral cortex which interprets them. The sense organs are structures that are specially conditioned to house the sensory cells, with the sense of sight offering complete and detailed visual information of the surroundings. The way the eye works is easy to understand if we compare it with a camera: The sclera, or outermost layer of the eyeball, would be equivalent to the camera chassis. The iris regulates the aperture of the pupil and, hence, how much light impacts on the retina, behaving in much the same way as the diaphragm in a camera. The lens, which is transparent and can modify its shape so as to converge the beams of light on the retina, acts like the lens of a camera. The posterior chamber of the eyeball, occupied by the vitreous humour, might be compared with a camera obscura. And the retina, the inner layer that can be stimulated by rays of light, behaves like sensitive camera film. News Grupo Antolin 34 Winter 2008 Taking care of your sight Keeping good health also implies looking after your eyes, since they are often subjected to attacks from the environment as in the case of stress, bad lighting when reading or working, prolonged hours staring at a computer screen, states of exhaustion, which, in many cases, can cause premature changes in eyesight. Simple exercises will enable us to strengthen our eyesight, develop sharpness of vision, increase the flow of energy in the area and disperse any blockage. In only a short time we will not only be able to improve the mechanical exercise of our eyes but also incorporate a space in our inner vision, silence and external-internal perception. After completing the movements, remain with your eyes closed for a moment and feel how you breathe. This is life. · Rub the palms of your hands together to make them warmer. · Place your hands on your forehead and, running your fingers over your forehead, “clear or unblock" your eyes and face. · Massage the following points gently. If your hands feel tired, rub your palms again until the warmth returns and then continue with the series of exercises. Visual tiredness. Visual tiredness is a functional disorder of a reversible nature, due to excessive strain on the visual organ. The symptoms are as follows: · Sore eyes: the feeling of tension in the eyes, inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis), heavy eyes, itching, need to rub the eyes, drowsiness, stinging or burning sensation, increased blinking. · Visual disorders: blurred vision of characters to be seen on screen. · Non-visual symptoms: cephaleas, dizziness and feelings of uneasiness and anxiety, discomfort in the back of the neck and spine. Physical tiredness. Tiredness is due either to static, dynamic or repetitive muscular strain, or excessive strain in the whole body or else to excessive strain in the psychomotor system. The symptoms of physical tiredness are usually the following: · Neck ache, strained neck. · Backache. · Lumbalgia. In any case, whenever possible, it is a good idea to combine tasks or establish rest periods that will enable you to alternate between standing and sitting. Mental or psychological fatigue. Mental or psychological fatigue is due to exerting an excessive amount of intellectual or mental effort. It is this type of fatigue that occurs most often among people working with visual display units. The symptoms may be of three types: · Neurovegetative disorders and psychosomatic disorders (common colds, cephaleas, diarrhoea, palpitations, etc.). · Psychic disorders (anxiety, irritability, states of depres· Move your eyes in the following directions. First of all, with your eyes closed and then repeat the movements with your eyes open. These exercises can be done once a day or by carrying them out in moments of visual tiredness. sion, etc.) · Sleep disorders (nightmares, insomnia, restless sleep, etc.). Conclusion Eyesight and the use of computers An important feature of our times on account of its extension and repercussions, both in our daily life and work routines is the existence of a computer. Therefore, it is of vital importance to study the measures that can help provide information and adequate training to users of such equipment. The main problems associated with its habitual use are as follows: The first recommendation to reduce any of the three types of fatigue mentioned as much as possible, as well as complying with ergonomic requirements, is to establish short but frequent pauses, during the computer user's work cycle or period of activity. Eyesight is one of the most wonderful senses we have. It is important to protect and take care of it, since it enables us to capture and enjoy the shapes, colours, lights and sizes of everything around us. Q News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 35 Statue of Peter the Great at nightfall St Petersburg Founded just over 300 years ago by Tsar Peter the Great, St Petersburg is known as the Venice of the North, with water covering 10% of its 600 sq. km. Nowadays, apart from its beauty and artistic wealth, it is becoming the most important centre for the car industry in Russia Florencio Cabero Project Manager for Russia - DOES en route News Grupo Antolin 36 Winter 2008 View of Palace Square, Alexander’s column, and the Building of the Chief of Staff Winter palace. Another panoramic view of the Palace Square The city of the Czars St Petersburg, the second city in Russia in importance and number of inhabitants – with over 5,000,000 living in the metropolitan area – is the largest northern settlement in the world. It is built on 42 islands, linked together by 342 bridges, with 86 rivers and canals flowing through it. The most important one is the River Neva. Tsar Peter I, a reformer and driving force behind the economic, political and cultural transformations of Russia and the one who "opened" up a window to Europe, founded the city on 27th May 1703 when he erected a fortress bearing his name on one of the islands in the River Neva. The fortress was used as a forward line of defence for Russia and also to curb the attacks mounted by their Swedish neighbours in the north. In keeping with the personal wishes of the Tsar, in order to build the Nordic capital, invitations were extended to illustrious architects and sculptors of different nationalities, amongst whom some of the most note-worthy were Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli and his son, the brilliant Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In 1712 it was made the capital of Russia. However, this ended in 1918 during the Russian Revolution, when the Bolshevik leader, Lenin, decided to flee to Moscow, with this city then becoming the capital as it still is today. St Petersburg changed its name on three occasions: it was changed to Petrograd during the period from 1914 to 1924, then the second time, from 1924 to 1991, it was called Leningrad and then in 1991 it recovered its original name again. Its history during this period, while short, is extremely rich. It was the cradle of three great Russian revolutions during the 20th century. During World War II it resisted the Fascist blockade for 900 days, the longest period in human history, being awarded the title of “Heroic City” as a consequence of this event. Many famous men lived in this city: Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tchaikovsky, Leon Tolstoy.... Nowadays, the cultural activities, business seminars and dynamics of the city are spectacular and have turned it into the country’s cultural, scientific and industrial centre. Its climate is not very favourable, but between the months of May and July the phenomenon of the "white nights" occurs when the sun hardly goes down. After midnight, the spires and domes of the majestic architectural jewels of the city are bathed in a twilight magic and 21 drawbridges open up to let the large boats through on their way to and from Lake Ladoga, which possesses a huge reserve of drinking water thanks to its nearly 20,000 sq.m. News Grupo Antolin Winter 2008 37 The industrial future is really ambitious with investments in this city continually on the rise. Its close proximity to Europe, along with its large sea port, have been a contributing factor in encouraging five of the main car manufacturers to set up business Picture displayed at the Hermitage, A. Matisse. The Dance. 1910 in this city and many other companies, such as our own, are choosing St Petersburg to start up their activities in Russia With respect to infrastructure, the projects in progress are extremely ambitious, like the new motorway over the Baltic, the new artificial maritime harbour, the new motorway to Moscow, the conversion and construction of new buildings (always respecting the maximum height of three storeys and never higher than the Hermitage Museum)… Peterhof’s Samson Fountain prying open the jaws of the lion What to see The memory of the founder of the city is embodied in the monument known as the Bronze Horseman, created in 1768 by the French sculptor Étienne Falconet. The equestrian statue of Peter I stands in Senate Square with the façades of the Admiralty on the eastern side and the buildings for the Senate and Synod to the west. The fortress of St Peter and St Paul represents the historic centre of the city and forms part of a unique architectural site in St Petersburg. It is located on the island of Zayachiy, in the very centre of the mouth of the River Neva. The fortress has 6 bastions, 6 retaining walls (walls between the bastions) and 6 gates. There is also a cathedral, with a bell tower that is 122.5 m in height and crowned with a spire with a golden angel bearing a cross and blessing the city. The Hermitage is an absolute must for lovers of art and culture and for any other person visiting the city. It is one of the best art galleries and history museums in the world. It is said that if a person were to devote only one minute to each of the pieces on display and spent 7 hours a day, 6 days a week at the Hermitage (without stopping even for a bite to eat) they would need more than five years to see them all. The museum collection occupies a complex formed by six buildings located on the banks of the River Neva, with the most important of these being the Winter Palace, the official residence of the Tsars. The rest of the architectural complex consists of five buildings, including News Grupo Antolin 38 Winter 2008 St Isaac Square Fortress of St Peter and St Paul Aerial view of the island Church of St Salvador on the Spilled Blood the Menshikov Palace, the Building of the Chief of Staff and an open storage precinct. Its collection consists of over 3 million items and yet only 25% have ever found the space to be put on display to the public, with the rest being kept in store, in special lockers. There are no end of places that are a must for the visitor such as Palace Square, the Cathedral of Isaac, the Temple of St Salvador on the Spilled Blood, the Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, with these names being but a small sample of all the wonders the city has to offer. St Petersburg – an exquisite city, mysteriously seductive, full of refined decadence, but above all the most European city in Russia. 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