BOSCH SEES UPTREND IN SALES PROJECTIONS IN 2010
2010-08-18 15:47:21 Author: admin Source:
Car Infotainment Hub takes centre stage
Bosch, a renowned brand for Automotive and Home Appliances, updated the media on its 2009 fiscal year and 2010 first quarter sales progress at Petaling Jaya headquarters yesterday. Aside from the sales progress, Bosch Malaysia also divulged further information on its car infotainment hub which is currently in operation in the northern state of Penang.
Homing on its three core businesses; Automotive, Industrial, and Consumer goods and Buildings materials, the company reported a collective healthy business environment in various continents; 62% in Europe, 20% in Asia Pacific and 18% in the U.S.A.
With the adverse impact of ’09’s economic downturn, Bosch Malaysia with its sound business plan and product diversification has risen from the downward trend to record a 40% total sales growth from ’09 till the 1H 2010, amounting RM 1,118 million or 268 million euro. It is a stark contrast to the 21% percent decline from 2008 to ‘09, which accounted for a turnover of only RM 396 million or 95 million euro.
The sales increase and market vitality in Malaysia encouraged Bosch to make the country a stronghold in Asean. “In Malaysia, Bosch is employing some 2,500 associates, which comprises more than 60 percent of all associates in Southeast Asia, demonstrating our strong commitment to Malaysia,” said Mr Cem Peksaglam, President and Managing Director of Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd, who is also Managing Director of Robert Bosch Sdn Bhd.
Mr Peksaglam added, “We are looking to strengthen our presence further through expanding our production base, especially for future oriented innovative products, the establishment of a R&D company, as well as an increase of our market shares in our business fields in Malaysia.”
For the first time, Asia Pacific contributed 20 percent of the Group’s revenue in 2009, making it the second most important region for sales after Europe. Asia Pacific’s share is expected to climb to 30 percent by 2015. An Asia Pacific headquarters has already been setup in Singapore to provide further business support to regional countries.
With the increased demand for vehicles, especially in Asia Pacific, automotive technology continues to make the greatest contribution to the Bosch Group’s growth.
In Malaysia and the region, Bosch is aiming to establish a strong presence in the car infotainment segment with a wide range of next generation multimedia systems (above) customized for different car segments, ranging from compact and mid-size vehicles, to the luxury class i.e. Jaguar.
These all-in-one car multimedia devices will be complete with applications such as dual view touch screen display, Bluetooth connectivity interfaces to iPhone and iPOD, as well as MP3, DVD, CD player support, TV, GPS navigation and an “eco mode” that offers fuel-efficient route guidance.
Bosch Car Multimedia division’s plant in Penang will be producing these next generation devices. By 2013, 70 percent of the plant’s production will primarily be car infotainment systems. Bosch is the first to manufacture these devices in Malaysia.
Bosch Car Multimedia division’s plant in Penang will be producing these next generation devices. By 2013, 70 percent of the plant’s production will primarily be car infotainment systems. Bosch is the first to manufacture these devices in Malaysia.
To meet the growing demand for car infotainment systems in tandem with the recovery of the international automotive market, Bosch is setting up a new research and development company in Penang. Established in August this year, the new R&D company will focus on the development of navigation, radio and electronic components. The company will initially deploy 63 of its research engineers into this new setup. A progressive increase is expected to support growth.
As part of Bosch’s commitment to environmental protection in Malaysia, Bosch is the first to have a 101 kilowatt-peak Photovoltaic (PV) installation on the rooftop of its manufacturing facilities in Penang. A total of 130 megawatt-hours of renewable energy can be generated yearly. The panels will also be used to study the sensitivity and performance level of solar cells in tropical climate.
In addition, Bosch is also moving towards attaining green building status for its main administration building in Penang, along with the deployment of other forms of environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient measures throughout its entire manufacturing facilities, such as the use of modern LED lightings. These projects contribute to a smaller carbon footprint of Bosch in Malaysia with a total reduction of 450 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per year.
Things are pointing upwards for Bosch Malaysia in 2010 as all business divisions have shown promising performance for the first six months of 2010. One of its main Automotive channel, the Automotive Aftermarket division saw a double digit spike for the first half of 2010, compared to the same period the year before. 2010 sees Bosch Automotive Aftermarket taking on a quality upgrade of its network of Bosch Car Service and Bosch Diesel Network service centers to even better attend to customers in the future.
Bosch’s Drive and Control technology division, Bosch Rexroth, registered a 29 percent growth, compared to the same period of the previous year. Bosch Rexroth is currently focusing on progressive growth in hydraulics through end user strategies.
Its other divisions; security systems and power tools, are also on an uptrend with Bosch security systems (above left) increasing its market share of public address systems, due to a combination of innovative product features and competitive pricing. For 2010, the division is focusing on replacement markets in the oil and gas sector, as well as on small and medium enterprises to offer competitive product pricing. The power tools division targets a double digit sales increase in 2010. This year, Bosch Power Tools maintains focus on users and will continue to introduce innovative products, especially for cordless and measuring tools.
