Further internationalisation secures long-term competitiveness
Preh GmbH, Bad Neustadt/Saale, Germany, officially opened its new production location in Brasov, Romania on 3 September. The automotive supplier manufactures various units at this plant, in particular multi-functional steering wheel switches and air conditioning control systems. The new S.C. Preh Romania S.R.L. plant currently covers a surface of approx. 4700 m², however, a gradual expansion of up to 11,000 m² is planned. At the end of 2009, the Brasov location will have approx. 95 employees, and further personnel intake of up to approx. 250 employees is planned until the end of 2010.
“With its low cost structures, the Brasov location plays an important role in the long-term safe-guarding of the competitiveness of our company” says Preh president and CEO Dr Michael Roesnick, at the opening ceremony in Brasov. “The new plant represents the perfect addition to our production locations at the headquarters in Bad Neustadt as well as in Portugal and Mexico, and offers new opportunities for further internationalisation”, Roesnick adds.
The city of Brasov, with approx. 330,000 inhabitants lies in Transylvania, the former area of Seven Fortresses, and according to Roesnick offers numerous benefits for a production location. Thus, Brasov was apparently chosen since it has a long tradition as an industrial and university location. Further advantages in the choice of location were the proximity to important client locations in Eastern Europe and the planned motorway and airport construction.
Production in Brasov was launched in March 2009 and then expanded gradually. In April 2009, the plant was certified according to DIN ISO 9001/2008, the declaration of conformity to the TS 16949 automotive industry standard was achieved and the environmental certification according to ISO 14001 was acquired in July 2009. The production expertise covers plastic injection molding, laser etching and final assembly. Paintwork is also to be added to this range in the medium term. In addition, Preh in Brasov has a development department that currently employs seven people.
Preh is a group of companies that enjoys a global presence, with approx. 2000 employees in Germany, Portugal, France, Mexico, the USA and recently also in China and Romania. The company’s headquarters are located in Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale, Germany. The company was founded in 1919 and in the financial year of 2008, it generated revenue of more than EUR 300 million. The development activities and technologies of Preh focus on intelligent mechatronic solutions for renowned automotive manufacturers. More than 90% of sales were generated in the automotive division in 2008. Furthermore, with PrehKeyTec GmbH, the Preh Group has a highly specialised company for professional point-of-sale keyboards and touch screens.
