All articles by Steve Garnsey – Page 19
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FeatureVW takes Duesmann from BMW and creates new role for Brandstätter
Volkswagen has offered Markus Duesmann (pictured) a position on the group’s management board. He is currently on the management board of rival OEM BMW, where he is responsible for its supplier network and purchasing. The carmaker has also created a new role for its head of procurement, Ralf Brandstätter, who ...
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FeatureArgentina reduces rates on parts imports
The Argentinian government is cutting import duties by 2% on more than 130 automotive parts to improve the vehicle industry’s competitiveness.The reduction is intended to help manufacturers of trailers, buses, trucks and agricultural machinery, as well as cars and vans.“We will continue working on different measures to improve the industry’s ...
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FeatureFaurecia extends trade in Toledo
Tier supplier Faurecia has announced plans to open an $11m (€9.4m) US plant in Toledo that will supply full instrument panels to the nearby Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) site.The parts facility builds on Faurecia’s existing business in Toledo, and across the state of Ohio, which includes plants in Franklin, Toledo ...
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FeatureVW to add second model at Navarra
Volkswagen is planning to make the new T-Cross compact SUV at its Navarra plant, following an investment of around €1 billion ($1.17 billion).The addition of the T-Cross will potentially raise output at the plant from 244,000 units in 2017 to around 350,000 a year and increase the workforce by about ...
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FeatureValmet starts production of new Mercedes-Benz
Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive has begun making the new A-class for Mercedes-Benz at Uusikaupunki in Finland, the third plant to make the latest version. The move to include contract production at Valmet was first announced last year. Pasi Rannus senior vice president manufacturing, Valmet Automotive, and the Valmet team ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz boosts local sourcing in South Africa
Mercedes-Benz is enlarging its supply chain within South Africa as it expands production at its plant in East London, on the country’s east coast.The OEM has added 35 new suppliers based in South Africa to the plant’s supply chain, with seven being tier one suppliers and three sequencing suppliers.“We have ...
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FeatureChinese EV battery maker forced to stop output
A reduction in Chinese government subsidies to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers has forced battery maker Shenzhen OptimumNano Energy to cease operations for six months.The majority of staff have been told to take paid leave for the rest of the year from July 1. Meanwhile, the government is reported to be ...
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FeatureStrike action hits Scania V8 supply
Scania has been unable to fulfil customer orders for more than 2,000 trucks with V8 engines because of a strike at an unnamed supplier of cast engine components. Sales of industrial and marine V8 engines are also affected.The strike began on June 14 and follows a spell earlier this year ...
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FeatureDigital lineside technology key to BMW’s 8 Series model
This week BMW began producing the luxury 8 Series coupé at its Dingolfing plant in Germany and the digitalisation of production and lineside logistics is playing a central role in the manufacturing of the new model, according to the carmaker. That includes in the delivery of parts to the factory ...
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FeatureJLR threatens to pull investment over ‘bad’ Brexit
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has warned its plans to invest £80 billion ($105 billion) over the next five years in the UK are in jeopardy, due to continuing uncertainty over the terms of the nation’s exit from the EU.Brexit could erode more than £1.2 billion from JLR’s bottom line each ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to expand South African plant
German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Cars is to spend €600m ($697m) on the assembly of the next generation of C-Class models at its plant in East London, South Africa.Factory space for passenger vehicle production will increase by two-thirds and include new logistic warehouses, paint and body shops and an upgrade of the ...
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FeatureKuehne + Nagel expands services for BMW
Kuehne + Nagel and BMW have expanded their partnership in Europe and Asia.In a phased development, the logistics company set up a regional distribution centre in Kleinaitingen (Germany) last April and one in Słubice (Poland) a month later. It is also establishing dealer distribution centres in Beijing and Shanghai, China, ...
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FeatureTrump’s tariffs attract worldwide disapproval
Carmakers, parts manufacturers, trade bodies and the European Union have all sharply criticised the Trump administration’s proposed import tariffs on vehicles and auto parts.Hinting at potential supply chain disruption, Toyota said: “There is no vehicle [made] in the United States … that is sole-sourced from exclusively US parts and components.”The ...
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FeatureGebrüder Weiss expands Romanian operations
German logistics provider Gebrüder Weiss has enlarged its base in Sibiu, Romania, to include a logistics terminal with cross-docking hub.“The extension will enable us to meet increasing customer requirements and handle the growing volume of orders,” said general manager Viorel Leca.Last year 605,442 consignments weighing a total of 1.2m tonnes ...
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FeatureGM breaks ground on Michigan parts centre
General Motors has stated construction of a $65m (€56m) parts processing centre (PPC) in Burton, Michigan. The development represents the company’s largest single investment in a US warehousing and logistics facility for almost 40 years and it is being managed by General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales (GMCCA). (left to ...
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FeatureLocation key to Volvo’s latest plant in the US
Sweden’s Volvo Cars has held a plant opening for its first US manufacturing base, near Charleston, South Carolina.The company invested around $1.1 billion (€950m) in the plant, which has an annual production capacity of 150,000 cars a year. The new S60 mid-size sports sedan will be the first model to ...
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FeatureTireHub on track to operate in US
Tyre distributor TireHub expects to start serving US customers in the first week of July after co-owners Bridgestone Americas and Goodyear received clearance for the joint venture.The newly formed company will distribute tyres for passenger cars and light trucks throughout the US, with an emphasis on satisfying growing demand for ...
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FeatureHigher tariffs to hit Daimler’s earnings
Increased Chinese import duties on US-made cars and other setbacks have forced Daimler to lower earnings expectations for this year, despite record sales.“The decisive factor is that at Mercedes-Benz Cars fewer-than-expected SUV sales and higher-than-expected costs – not completely passed on to the customers – must be assumed because of ...
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FeaturePSA to develop new engines in Germany
Following its takeover by Groupe PSA last year, Opel/Vauxhall’s engineering centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, will take on global responsibility for development of the next generation of high-efficiency petrol engines for all Groupe PSA brands.The engines will be used in the Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Vauxhall and Opel marques in China, ...
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FeatureNissan targets ‘new frontier’ markets
Japanese carmaker Nissan has revealed plans for major expansion in Africa, the Middle East and India. The company said it wished to grow in “new frontier markets” where few other carmakers were present.Attracted by forecasts that industry-wide annual sales are expected rise by about 40% in the region to more ...