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MOTORINDIA
l
April 2012
Knorr-Bremse Group
registers 49%
growth in CV division sales
The Knorr-Bremse Group report-
ed 14 per cent higher sales during
2011 at 4.24 billion EUR from the
previous year’s 3.71 billion EUR.
The group again benefited during the
year from its strong global position
in the rail vehicle systems and com-
mercial vehicles sectors. At 2.19 bil-
lion EUR in sales, the Rail Vehicle
Systems division contributed 51 per
cent of the group’s overall revenues;
and the Commercial Vehicles divi-
sion produced the remaining 49 per
cent at 2.07 billion EUR.
The Commercial Vehicles divi-
sion benefited in particular from the
sustained rejuvenation of the com-
mercial vehicles market in Europe
and North America. The founding
of a joint venture for the manufac-
ture of components for commercial
braking systems and the power train
in partnership with China’s CAFF
Automotive Braking & Steering
Systems helped pave the way for a
significant expansion of Chi-
na-based activities in the
commercial vehicle seg-
ment.
Knor r -Br ems e ’ s
North American sub-
sidiary Bendix added
object recognition and
data management for
assist systems to its
competencies through
the acquisition of the
Iteris company. The launch
of serial delivery of anti-lock brak-
ing systems for agricultural vehi-
cles during this reporting year also
helped Knorr-Bremse make its entry
into a new business area.
Incoming orders within the group
rose slightly from the prior year
based on rising demand in both di-
visions in the North American re-
gion to 4.07 billion EUR from 4.04
billion EUR a year ago. Net profits
totalled 329 million EUR (previous
year: 239 million EUR), correspond-
ing to a ROI of 7.8 per cent (PY: 6.4
per cent). The growth reflects both
improved economy of scale and in
particular improved efficiency in
workflow and process optimization.
component zone
In 2011, the Commercial
Vehicle Systems division
was voted the “Best Brand
in the Commercial Vehicle
Sector” in the brakes cat-
egory for the sixth time
running. The division was
also singled out for a VDA
Logistik Award based on
its efficient production and
logistics processes.