(Giesserei Praxis, 1-2 / 2008)  
Content:  
The prices for energetical and metalic resources will be moving further on a high stage, in view of the high demand, especially within Asia’s growth regions. A differentiated development is shown in detail: while the prices for crude oil are peaking further on – especially against the background of the political tensions within the Near East – a slight tension release is indicated with gas. The previous price backlogs at the important metals – aluminium and nickel – have considerably fallen below. However, there is to be counted on a price backlog for copper only within 2008. Presently, the steel prices are moving on a stable level, except stainless steel, whose prices are tending downwards.

(Automobilwoche, 26^th edition, 17^th December 2007)  
Content:  
BMW increases the pressure on the contractors in the field of acquisition management, to boost the profit margin from 8 % to about 10 %, also by the retrenchment of a total of 6 billion €. The contractors are to bear the biggest part of the costs. For this, a special new executive position has been filled by Mr Herbert Diess within BMW. Similar is heard also within Mercedes, who wants to lower the material costs by more than 2 billion € within the CORE-programme until 2010.

Thereby, the pressure of the OEMs continues to increase on your contractor group. We would be pleased to assist you together with our team of specialists at the discussion regarding available potentials and their development.

(Wall Street Journal, 10^th December 2007)  
Content:  
The author describes the 25 % takeover deal by the French OEM, who thus continues to increase rapidly.

(Handelsblatt, No 235, 6^th 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.

(Automobilwoche, 24^th edition, 19^th 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.

(Automobilwoche, 24^th edition, 19^th 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.

(Handelsblatt, No 219, 13^th 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.

(Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, WVE_1 No 260, 8^th 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.

(Automobilwoche, 23^rd edition, 5^th 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.

(Automobilwoche, 23^rd edition , 5^th 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.