as a PDF file - VOIT Automotive GmbH, St. Ingbert

WE ARE VOIT I PORTRAIT OF THE LOCATION VOIT MÉXICO
Economic Portrait
Mexico
Mexico is in great demand from
the international business press
and among investors. So great
is the demand that the reputable Financial Times has used an
analogy of the term “Asian Tiger”
and nicknamed the threshold
country the “Aztec Tiger”. And
for good reason. The eleventh
largest economy in the world is
set to pounce and overtake the
BRIC States in the long term or
at least to draw level with them.
With its 117 inhabitants, Mexico
is not only an ideal sales market
but also a first-class production
location and bridgehead to
neighbouring markets. With over
2.4 million vehicles and an export
quota of over 80%, Mexico is meanwhile the fifth largest exporter of
vehicles worldwide. Until 2015, it
is anticipated that three million
vehicles will be produced annually on site. The main sales market
is the NAFTA zone, in particular
the North American market but
also the Latin American countries and the EU, in particular
Germany, are gaining increasing
importance.
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Stability and Growth
The reasons for the flourishing growth of “the Tiger”
are manifold: The Mexican economy is continuing
to prove its robust strength and the dynamics of its
gross domestic product of 3.0 – 3.7% demonstrates
growth which is remarkable in view of a global economy which is currently cautious. This growth is driven by strong demand from the consumption-friendly middle class and an export quota of approx. 80%.
The country scores points with its economic stability,
healthy state finances, an autonomous central bank,
a sound financial system and a better investment
climate in comparison with other threshold countries.
This is due to lower labour costs, a lower tax burden,
fewer bureaucratic constraints, a more flexible labour
market and a very young population (half of the
population is younger than 30). Other advantages are
the high degree of legal security for investors, only
moderate inflation as well as a low level of interest
which facilitates investment.
With its well established infrastructure and high level
of education as well as comparably low labour costs,
Mexico has developed into one of the most attractive
industrial locations worldwide and the new favourite
location of many German and international corporations. In addition, with programmes such as “Pacto
por México”, the Mexican government wants to invest
up to 400 billion dollars in further construction of
energy transport and communication networks.
And: Mexico is also the “World Champion of Globalisation”. With 12 free trade agreements with a total
of 44 partner countries including the USA, the EU
and Japan, the country has also emerged as one of
the most significant manufacturing platforms for the
global market. This advantage of location could be
lost as the free trade agreement between the USA
and the EU becomes effective. However, since the
Mexican economy is strongly linked with the supply
chain of the USA, (there is direct correlation with the
growth of the GDP in the USA), additional competitive pressure on the transatlantic market will highlight
the country‘s cost advantages so that Mexico will
continue to be an attractive location in future.
The Market
There are around 1,200 German companies with
120,000 employees operating in Mexico, primarily from the fields of the automotive industry, the
supplier industry and pharmaceutical, chemical
and electronics companies. Mexico has become an
automotive stronghold. All German manufacturers
in the premium segment have announced in the last
few years and months that they will be making major
investments in Mexico.
VW is currently building a new plant for Audi for
around 900 million euros in the federal state of
Puebla to produce the new sports utility vehicle Q5.
It is said that the automatic transmissions for this are
to be procured directly from the Saarland as of 2016.
In 2019, BMW will commence in San Luis Portosi.
Other companies from the automotive or automotive
supplier industry such as Schaeffler, VOIT and Bosch
are investing to a greater degree in new factories and
facilities there. For example, one year ago, VW built an
engine plant for manufacturing 330,000 engines in
the neighbouring state of Guanajuato.
I The Aztec Tiger ready to pounce
What is preventing the Aztec Tiger from taking
a gigantic leap forward?
From the point of view of German observers of the
industry, the greatest hindrance for growth in the Mexican automotive industry is not the much-discussed
topic of security. With regard to incidents of gang
killings, drug wars, corruption… the country still unfortunately ranks among those countries with the
highest figures in the world but the violence is concentrated in certain remote areas in the north and
south and is not directed against the target group of
foreign professionals or business people. In the cities
and industrial centres of Mexico, professionals can move
around more safely than in other threshold countries.
The German Mexican Chamber of Commerce and
Industry is also reassuring. To their knowledge, there
has not been a single case where a German company
left the country for security reasons. Instead there
is a lot of praise – also from experts. The stumbling
block is rather the reticence of German suppliers and
owner-managed small and medium sized companies
to invest here. As a result, the large OEMs have to do a
lot of convincing to tempt their suppliers to Mexico.
VOIT has already been successfully operating in
Mexico since 1998 and is on growth track. The
number one hindrance to growth from VOIT‘s point
of view is deficits in qualification at the location.
In order to be able to fulfill its full potential on the
NAFTA growth market, VOIT requires significant
improvements in training and qualification and is
counteracting the lack by having its own training
and qualification programmes for employees e.g. in
the pilot project “Dual Training System”.
Automotive stronghold Méxiko –
Automotive stronghold Saarland
Mexico and the Saarland have one great thing in
common – they are both automotive strongholds.
A total of 56 companies from the Saarland with
subsidiaries or production sites are registered with
the Chamber of Commerce and Industry but far more
have business relations with Mexico. This development
was almost certainly also initiated by a trip to test the
market in Mexico which was organized by the Chamber
and by the organisations ZPT (centre for productivity
and technology) and Saarland International.
The portfolio is completed by regular business days or cooperation
events between the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the
German Mexican Society regarding
current topics and matters relevant
for entering the market and by close
cooperation with the German
Mexican Chamber of Commerce
e.g. to allow rapid access to the
know-how of experts on site in the
case of further inquiries by small
and medium sized enterprises
from the Saarland. However, the
most important linking element
is not the transfer of know-how in
both directions but rather people.
Those people on both sides of
the Atlantic who are inspired by
everyone‘s favourite topic and
who work on it: – the car.
Astrid Wilhelm-Wagner
Manager PR & Marketing
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WE ARE VOIT I PORTRAIT OF THE LOCATION VOIT MÉXICO
Interview with Thomas Oberthuer
Mr Oberthuer, since January 2010, as CFO – Commercial Director, you have been responsible for
the fields of Finances and Controlling, Information Technology, Human Resource Management,
Purchasing and Foreign Trade as well as sales activities in the NAFTA region.
10 million USD for the years to come, whereby the
largest portion is for shock absorber components for
the customer ZF Friedrichshafen for General Motors
and Chrysler, among others. Furthermore, we manufacture power brake units and components made of
aluminium for the customer Robert Bosch (Audi Q5)
and Continental (Chrysler and Dodge Minivans and
Grand Cherokee).
Which customers and markets do you serve?
What are the current and planned projects?
We mainly serve the NAFTA market, in particular our
automotive clients, Continental, Robert Bosch, ZF
Sachs, Valeo and Brose Fahrzeugteile but also CREE,
one of the global leaders in the manufacture of
temperature-resistant high power LEDs.
In production and organization our focus lies on
streamlining the organization taking aspects of lean
management into account and in increasing productivity and profitability.
Where does the main emphasis of your products lie?
In the automotive branch, we concentrate on engine
housings and covers, components for brake systems,
shock absorbers and engine cooling systems. In the
non-automotive sector, LED technology is of interest
to us.
Your machinery is constantly being renewed
and extended
Yes, that is the case. As a result of growth over the last
few years, on average investment has been carried
out in one press per year including two 800 and three
600 tonne presses, all equipped with 3D transfer
systems as well as a 500 tonne hydraulic press and
two mechanical presses with a pressing force of 440
and 330 tonnes.
That signifies some interesting new orders
In 2014, we generated an annual turnover of approx.
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is proven by our training figures.
11 trainees completed their training in the dual training system
on 18.9.2014. 13 trainees will
complete their three-year training
courses in September 2015. In
mid-September, 30 young people
commenced training with us. With
currently 43 trainees, we have an
even larger number than the company headquarters in St Ingbert.
Which goals were achieved in 2014?
We understand quality as a promise
we have made to our customers with absolute priority. Achieving this requires a joint effort.
For this reason, we are all very proud that on 3rd September 2014, we were presented with the
Award „North American Supplier
of the Year“ in the category “Direct Material Supplier” by our esteemed
client ZF Friedrichshafen. It is the result of our untiring advancement and our commitment to the
highest standards of excellence.
Furthermore, we are progressing with our dual training
system. For the apprenticeship as a toolmaker, we
have found a new co-operation partner with the Universidad Tecnológica de Jalisco. The importance for
us of the subject of further training and qualification
Our current Mexican trainees
What are your aims for 2015?
We are working on the organizational and production aspects of
preparing for future growth. In
particular, the future field “Powertrain” is of great interest to us as
it is for VOIT at the headquarters in
St. Ingbert.
I Location Guadalajara
Portrait of a city: Guadalajara
With 1.5 million inhabitants, Guadalajara is the
second largest city in Mexico and it is the capital of
the federal state of Jalisco. The city lies at 1,590m
above sea level in the west of the Mexican highlands,
around 500 kilometres west of the capital Mexico
City. Over 4.5 million people live in the metropolitan
region Zona Metropolitana de Guadalajara. The city is
also known by the name of “Perla del Occidente”
(Spanish for “Pearl of the West”) and is the origin of
many Mexican traditions such as the music of the
Mariachis. The town of Tequila is nearby whose famous
agave product is probably known all over the world.
Portrait: Thomas Oberthuer
Thomas Oberthuer (45) has been working for VOIT Automotive de México SA de CV (formally Grupo Kervo
SA de CV) since January 2006, initially in the position
of Head of the Commercial Department. Since January
2010, as CFO-Commercial Director, he has been
responsible for the areas of Finance and Controlling,
Information Technology, Human Resource Management, Purchasing and Foreign Trade as well as sales
activities in the NAFTA region.
After industrial training as a car mechanic, he studied
Business Administration at the University of Gießen
with the focus on auditing, taxation, human resource
management and organisation. In particular, periods
spent abroad in South America, the Caribbean and
Australia, awakened his wish to work abroad. After
several career stages at Leica Camera AG and Brose
Fahrzeugteile in Germany, via Barcelona/Spain and
Querétaro/Mexico he ultimately moved to VOIT in
Guadalajara.
Thomas Oberthuer lives in Santa Anita, a suburb of
Guadalajara, with his Mexican partner and two children
of 3 and 7 years of age. He spends his free time with
his family and friends and, as often as possible, at the
sea in order to practise his hobbies of swimming and
diving.
Guadalajara was founded in 1532 under the name
of Espíritu Santo by the Spaniards under the leadership of Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán. Today it is a large
centre of trade and an important industrial location
and it is also termed the “Silicon Valley” of Mexico.
60.000 employees work in the electronics industry.
Numerous foreign companies such as Continental
Automotive, Flextronics, General Electric, Hewlett
Packard, Hella, IBM, Intel, Oracle or Siemens as well
as ZF Sachs AG, Sumida AG and VOIT MÉXICO have
production facilities in the city and in the surrounding
area. There are international connections through the
airport Aeropuerto Internacional Don Miguel Hidalgo
y Costilla. Based on the number of passengers at 7.2
million (2011), it is the third largest airport in Mexico.
A great deal of importance is placed on education
in Mexico. The city is the location of several universities including the second oldest in Mexico, the
Universidad de Guadalajara, founded in 1792. Other
universities in the city are the Universidad Autónoma
de Guadalajara, the Universidad Cuauthémoc and
the Universidad Panamericana. Private universities
include ITESO and ITESM. Culturally, the city has a lot
to offer e.g. the international cultural festival “Festival
de Mayo”: Every year the festival is under the motto of
a guest country with its traditional and avant-garde
culture, visual art, concerts, theatre performances and
culinary events. The festival “Internacional de Cine
en Guadalajara” is the most important film festival
in Mexico today and takes place at various open air
venues in the city.
@ Héctor Alejandro Larios Romo
@ Thelmadatter
@ patrick.denizet
@ Thelmadatter
Last three photos @ Karma Boy
And, of course, the Mexicans love football. Guadalajara is home to no fewer than three football clubs in
the Mexican premier league. The “Club Deportivo
Guadalajara” is the most popular club in
Mexico and is also known as “Las chivas
rayadas” (The striped goats).
You can see how colourful and lively
Guadalajara is on the website
http://portal.guadaljara.gob.mx/
or just fly over and visit us!
Astrid Wilhelm-Wagner, Manager PR & Marketing
All Photos: www.commons.wikimedia.org
WE ARE VOIT I PORTRAIT OF THE LOCATION VOIT MÉXICO
Portrait:
Portrait: Leonel Delgado
Since
07.01.2014,
VOIT MÉXICO
has had a
new CEO.
Faustino Leonel Delgado Melesio is the new CEO of
VOIT Automotive de México SA de CV. Mr Delgado,
who has been working in the automotive industry for
more than 25 years, has, in the course of his career,
worked in functions in the fields of production, logistics, purchasing and supplier quality development
as well as central company management. Speaking
English and Spanish (native language), he is bilingual
and has great skill at negotiating, in his leadership
technique and in innovation management. He has a
team-orientated mind and an entrepreneurial spirit
and has proven himself as a persevering and tenacious manager at home and abroad.
Today,
we would like
to present
Leonel Delgado
to you in
detail.
After an MBA degree at the University of Guanajato/
Mexico with the focus on financial management, he
completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering/Industrial Engineering at the Technological
Institute of Celaya in Mexico. He started his career
with the Spicer Group in Celaya Guanajato/Mexico as
a trainer and consultant for maintenance, automation
and quality at CEDEI (Centro di Desarrollo Industrial) then as a production-project engineer and was
later head of purchasing for material and logistics at
Velcon (GKN-Group).
After entering the MAGNA Group, he carried out numerous functions in Mexico, South America, Europe
and the United States and was most recently Plant
Manager at Magna Automotive Systems in San Luis
Potosí/Mexico.
We are delighted to have assigned Mr Delgado as the
CEO for VOIT Automotive de México SA de CV as of
7th January 2014.
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His wife, Francis Bautista Castillo, has a Bachelor of
Science degree in Biochemistry and a Master‘s degree
in Administration. In her private life, she does a lot of
sport. She participates in competitive dancing and is
an enthusiastic fitness fan.
Mr Delgado‘s daughter, Melisa Kenneth Delgado Bautista is about to take a Bachelor‘s Degree in Medicine
with the focus on diet and nutrition. His son, Leonel
Oswaldo Delgado Bautista is studying for a degree
as an engineer for vehicle systems at the Insitituto
Nacional Politécnico UPIICG in the city Leon-Silao
Guanajuato, where the automotive boom in Mexico is
currently taking place. He is therefore following in his
father‘s footsteps.
As far as his hobbies are concerned, Leonel Delgado
loves both standard dancing and pursuing his passions of football and playing the guitar. He tries to do
something for his fitness 3-4 times a week to reduce
levels of stress and he likes watching films, either at
home or in the cinema. He enjoys travelling with his
friends or family, going to new and interesting places
and visiting sites of cultural interest.
It is his aim as the new CEO, together with his team,
to make VOIT Automotive de México into an outstanding, technologically cutting-edge company in the
automotive industry in the next few years. We wish
Leonel Delgado and his colleague Thomas Oberthuer
on the Management Board as well as the whole VOIT
Mexico Team, great success!
I Questions for…..
... Carsten Schubert
How did VOIT happen to move into Mexico
when it did?
The step of making a commitment in Mexico in 1999
was taken as a result of a request by several significant
German tier 1 manufacturers of vehicle components.
BOSCH was looking for a supplier for punched parts for
engine cooling motor housings and covers at the time.
VOIT Automotive de México SA de CV was founded
under the name of “Grupo Kervo SA de CV” in 1998
as a joint venture between a Mexican partner with
European roots (Belgium) and VOIT. This was thus a
partnership between long-term marketing experience
in Mexico with VOIT‘s technical know-how. In 2005,
VOIT Holding took over the partner‘s 50% of shares
and, since mid-2006, the location has been operating
under the current company name. The growth expectations of the first clients initially remained far behind
our own expectations. It was only in the course of
the following 3-4 years that it was possible to achieve
a satisfactory workload through acquisition of new
customers. Today, our presence in Mexico is, of course,
of strategic importance since a “global footprint” with
technologically sophisticated and highly specialized
product groups provides a competitive advantage and
the increasing number of vehicle platforms also makes
such presence indispensable. International growth has
meant better utilization of fixed costs for development
expenses and central areas (Toolmaking, Design, Quality, Sales) as well as leading to a sustainable improvement in VOIT‘s global positioning as a technology
company.
What is the nature of VOIT‘s commitment in Mexico?
VOIT Automotive de México SA de CV is the largest
location within the VOIT group for forming/punching
technology. With a turnover of €40 million per year and
currently approx. 400 employees, the location is just
about to take another step on the growth track. New
technologies such as, for example, the manufacture
of highly complex transmission components on very
large transfer presses (approx. 2,000 tonne presses) are
to serve the growing number of transmission manufacturers such as ZF but also the OEMs with present
and future sites in Mexico (VW, Daimler, Nissan, BMW,
Honda, Ford etc.) in the near future. These components
are hardly available on the market with their product
and manufacturing technology. For us, this means
further growth, innovation and technological progress
for the NAFTA market. In doing so, we want to increase
our turnover in the medium term by 30-40%. Further
expansion in the field of hot forming technology for
structural vehicle components is currently being investigated (lightweight construction with high-strength
boron-manganese steels).
How is it the cooperation with colleagues and
partners at the location?
The Mexicans are proud and highly-motivated
people. Qualification for the high technical requirements alone is often not enough to deliver the
necessary performance. For this reason, from the
very start, we have placed an emphasis on close
support by German employees on site and some
have even remained in Mexico. The high demands
on tool mechanics and toolmakers mean that the
qualification as a tool mechanic is one of the key
qualifications in Mexico. Due to this fact, three years
ago, together with the embassies of both countries, the organization ProMéxico, the Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of the Saarland, the
Chamber of Foreign Trade in Mexico, the German
Mexican Society of the Saarland and with regional
educational institutes in Mexico (e.g. CECATI), we
started to provide a number of youngsters with the
necessary qualifications and now, in a final step,
to provide them with qualifications in accordance
with the German model of a dual training system
through the Chamber of Foreign Trade parallel to
the Mexican job profile. In the Mexican state of
Jalisco where we have our plant (town: Guadalajara), this is a pilot project which we will complete in
the middle of next year. Then, it will be possible to
learn the trade of a tool mechanic for VOIT but also
for other companies along with the technological
characteristics required.
These basic foundations also serve to strengthen
the futures of Mexican employees. Increasing
the level of performance makes us successful as a
company as well as providing our employees with
opportunities for further self-development. We are
thus not only fulfilling entrepreneurial aims but
also our social responsibility as an employer and we
are very proud of this development. In the course
of the aforementioned growth, we will also start
qualification measures for Mexican employees in St.
Ingbert as well as giving motivated young employees from the Saarland the opportunity to work in
our Mexican company. That is effective globalization “SME-style”!
Preview of our next edition of VOIT Inside
Extensive portrait of our Poland
location: Doubling of the
factory space
Energy efficiency à la VOIT
Inauguration of the new
punching press at the St Ingbert
location
Automotive commitment
at university
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