Further internationalization ensures long-term competitiveness
Preh GmbH, Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Germany, officially opened its new production location in Braov, Romania on September 3. The automotive supplier manufactures various units at this plant, in particular, multifunction steering wheel switches and climate control systems. The new S.C. Preh Romania S.R.L. plant covers about 4,700 m²; however, a gradual expansion to 11,000 m² is planned. At the end of 2009, the Braov location will have about 95 employees. Preh plans to expand the workforce further to about 250 employees by the end of 2010.
“With its low cost structures, the Bra?ov location plays an important role in ensuring the competitiveness of our company,” explained Preh President Dr. Michael Roesnick at the opening ceremony in Braov. “The new plant represents the perfect addition to the production facilities at our headquarters in Bad Neustadt, Germany and our plants in Portugal and Mexico. It also offers new opportunities for further internationalization,” Roesnick added.
The city of Braov, with about 330,000 inhabitants, is located in Transylvania and, according to Roesnick, offers numerous advantages as a production location. One of the reasons for the decision in favor of Bra?ov, Roesnick noted, was the city’s long tradition as an industrial center and university town. Further advantages of the location were the proximity to important customer facilities in Eastern Europe and the planned expressway and airport construction.
Production in Braov began in March 2009 and has been gradually expanded since then. In April 2009, the plant was certified per DIN ISO 9001/2008 and a certificate of conformity to automotive industrial standard TS 16949 was obtained. In July 2009 certification per ISO 14001 was acquired. Production expertise includes injection molding, laser etching and final assembly. Paintwork is also to be added to this range in the medium term. Preh has also established a product development department in Bra?ov, which currently has a staff of seven.
The Preh group of companies is active globally and has 2,000 employees in Germany, Portugal, France, Mexico, the U.S.A., and recently also China and Romania. Its headquarters is located in Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Germany The company was founded in 1919 and in FY 2008 had sales of over €300 million. Preh’s product development activities and technologies focus on intelligent mechatronic solutions for leading automotive manufacturers. In 2008, over 90% of sales were generated by its automotive division. PrehKeyTec GmbH, a highly specialized manufacturer of professional point-of-sale keyboards and touchscreens, is also a member of the Preh group.
