Automotive component supplier Bosch has announced a double-digit sales growth in its operational Middle Eastern countries in 2013.
A 14% revenue increase for Robert Bosch Middle East over the course of last year has cemented the aftermarket supplier as a major player in the region. It is also expected to raise the profile and revenue of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket on a global scale.
The provider said it witnessed a significant sales increase amongst all its automotive aftermarket product categories.
Andreas Bodemer, vice president for Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, Middle East and Africa, commented: “2013 was another very successful year for Bosch Automotive Aftermarket in the Middle East and Africa region, which is one of our fastest growing regions globally.”
Countries that yielded the most growth include Pakistan, North East Africa, Levant and the Gulf Cooperation Council. In addition to this, Bosch also opened 84 new car service workshops, express car service centres and diesel service workshops across the Middle East in 2013.
“The income from our core assets within the Bosch Automotive Aftermarket group of diagnostics equipment, car control units, diesel systems, spark plugs, batteries, rotating machines and wipers grew significantly, while our dedicated fleet of automotive service centres continues to expand,” said Bodemer.
Karlsruhe distribution centre
These parts are supplied to the various regional service centres from Bosch’s global distribution centre in Karlsruhe, Germany. The company is currently expanding its storage capacity at the Karlsruhe centre by 50% and by 2018 plans to have invested €100m spare parts logistics there.
“Deliveries go from that distribution centre to Bosch’s foreign representatives in the various countries, which operate their own warehouses locally,” said a spokesperson for Robert Bosch Middle East FZE. “This set up proved efficient in realising impressive growth rates in the past and we are confident it will continue to do so.”
Bosch said it wanted to expand its footprint in the region in 2014, with the introduction of 100 more service centres across both Africa and the Middle East. This will raise the number of service and technology centres across the region to almost 400, an increase of 30%.
"Having posted double digit sales growth for several years in a row, we are very confident of another successful year in 2014, and look forward to extending our services and reach to new markets across the region," said Bodemer.
