(Wall Street Journal, 10th December 2007)
Content:
The author describes the 25 % takeover deal by the French OEM, who thus continues to increase rapidly.
Renault speeds into Russia via Avtovaz
German Automobile Market Collapses
(Handelsblatt, No 235, 6th December 2007)
Content:
The author describes the drastic decline of the sales figures in case of passenger cars in Germany. In 2006, the lowest domestic value since the reunification was reached, with marginal 3, 5 million vehicles. The fact that the German automobile plants operate at their full capacity – with a production figure of 5, 7 million passenger cars – is only explainable by the sustained export. Thus, it is to be reckoned that the pressure of the motorists to shift production volumes abroad will increase, in order to thus control especially the factor costs transportation and remuneration.
In order for your company to be ideally placed in front of this strategic development, the experts of the KW- Consulting-Group are at your disposal at any time with individually developed strategic concepts.
Ride on a Razor Blade
(Automobilwoche, 24th edition, 19th November 2007)
Content:
The author visualizes the price pressure in the European contractor industry by means of selected component fields and outlines the expected average price reductions per year. At the top of the expected price reductions, there are especially aluminium wheels and kinematic parts in the interior with an average price decline of 4 % per year. High performance components like turbo-supercharger components come off better with an expected price decline of 1 % per year.
Benefit from your reserves by the assignment of our teams before that your company is trapped in the classic turnover reduction and the cost increase factor scissors.
Automobile Market Germany
(Automobilwoche, 24th edition, 19th November 2007)
Content:
From the background of the different forms of passenger cars, the author brings forward the argument of the drastic sale slumps of -8 % in the January-September 2007 time period, whereas September alone holds the negative record with -11 %. According to this, especially compact cars, luxury cars and vans with over double-digit recurrent registration numbers cannot be or are very difficult to be sold within Germany. The winners of this trend are thus especially sport cars (+ 45 %) and off-road vehicles (+4 %).
Thus, the article reflects the new lifestyle comprehension of the contemporary potential buyer structures.
Daimler Forecasts a Longer Recession for Heavy Goods Vehicles
(Handelsblatt, No 219, 13th November 2007)
Content:
The author discusses the expectations that before the second quarter in 2008 there should not be reckoned with a considerable increase in turnover in the heavy goods vehicle sector, stating as background the current recession in turnover on the US-market for heavy goods vehicles. Yield targets and alternative impulse and energy concepts are being discussed upon in the same article.
Belte-Subsidiary Takes Over Huth & Gaddum
(Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, WVE_1 No 260, 8th November 2007)
Content:
The market leader in the field of innovative heath treatment technologies Belte AG enters the field of non-automotive foundry activity by the takeover of the insolvent traditional company Huth & Gaddum. Thus, Belte AG continues to prove its loyalty to Germany as a location of industry and commerce and disposes of the production processes aluminium – sand casting, aluminium – die cast and low pressure casting – aluminium as well as heavy metal – sand casting. Thus, Belte AG is to be capable of offering besides the development of heath treatment, also the development of cast prototypes linked with innovative heath treatment an innovative material development.
The Plastic Percentage Within Automobiles Increases
(Automobilwoche, 23rd edition, 5th November 2007)
Content:
The author describes that it is to be acted on the assumption that within the next 5-10 years, an increase of the plastic percentage within automobiles is to be reckoned with. This is mentioned especially by taking the background of newly developed polyamides into account, which possess stable characteristics with temperatures beyond 200° C. Thus, new compartments open up within the motor to plastic, which nowadays are not available to the manufacturer. A bigger liberty in design vis-á-vis aluminium and a weight reduction of 50 % vis-á-vis steel are expected from the development, as far as considerable cost benefits arise from a series volume of up to 100.000 vehicles per year. Meaning, that in case of market stagnancy in the automobile sector or a diminution in case of overcapacity at aluminium casting producers – which at the same time persists globally -, it is to be reckoned with further concentrations, as a result of the slumps in production quantities which are linked to this development.
The specialists of KW-International will optimally work out answers to the questions: could your company be affected by these facts and how – should the case may be – can you optimally be positioned for this.
Indians With an Unusual Strategy
(Automobilwoche, 23rd edition , 5th November 2007)
Content:
The article describes by means of selected Indian producers their approach at the purchase of German and English metal-processing and metal-manufacturing companies. Thus, the Indians buy systematically know-how and market and produce at the same time quantity in their plants. In contrast, the Chinese strategy is being presented, and its main strategic approach lies predominantly in the export.
These facts especially with the argumentation, that the production in China is considerably cheaper than in Europe. In the end, both strategies result in the fact that the cost pressure on the companies which manufacture exclusively in Western Europe will increase considerably.
The Krapohl-Wirth Foundry Consulting GmbH – teams offer you filed methods for the development of the potentials that are present within your company.
Mega-Fusion at ERZ
(Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 2007)
Content:
BHP Billiton wants to take over Rio Tinto for 140 billion US-Dollar: new world market leader in mining-commodities increased the pressure on the steel groups.
PSA Shortens Product Cycles to 3 Years
(Automobilwoche, 20th edition, 24th September 2007)
Content:
PSA announces to shorten the model development of new passenger cars to approx. 30 % from the year 2009 to only 3 years. The goal is to also reduce the fixed costs by 30 % with the help of a rapid model change, bigger construction diversities and smaller volumes.
Other OEMs will not be able to deny this development but then again the pressure on the suppliers increases in that direction, that follow-up orders must be generated more rapidly and with a simultaneous risk of losing follow-up orders.
The KW-Consulting-Group helps suppliers to position themselves strategically even more optimal regarding this situation. In this respect, the slogans are: cutting of the setup time to less than one hour, minimization of the inventory towards zero and paperless process regulation instrument.