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MOTORINDIA
l
January 2012
SKF firm on retaining market
leadership in bearings
AB SKF, established in 1907, has
grown into one of the world’s largest
companies, with its presence in over
130 countries. SKF Technical Press
Day, a unique initiative of the com-
pany held in Mumbai, witnessed the
coming together of its senior execu-
tives, including Mr. Tom Johnstone,
President and CEO, AB SKF, Mr.
Rakesh Makhija, President - Asia,
SKF Group, and Mr. Shishir Jo-
shipura, Managing Director, SKF
India Ltd.
On the occasion, Mr. Tom John-
stone presented an overview of the
company’s progress at the global
level. He outlined the key growth
areas in terms of sector-wise busi-
ness spread and also the geographi-
cal business share of the company.
Western Europe continues to be the
dominant region with a share of 41
per cent, but the contribution of the
Asia-Pacific region is on the rise
with China accounting for 50 per
cent of the region’s sales and India
for 20 per cent. However, there are
indications that the Asia-Pacific
region, with a healthy growth rate,
may as well outmuscle Europe for
the top spot.
SKF care is a platform on which
the company’s operations function,
and it includes Business care, Em-
ployee care, Environment care and
Community care.
The main targets are to accelerate
profitable growth, reduce cost, elim-
bearings
inate waste and invest for growth.
The company has made 21 acquisi-
tions since 2003, of which 19 focus
on the industrial market. Lincoln,
one of their latest acquisitions, is
a very strong brand in the lubrica-
tion segment, and it is one brand the
company is keen to keep, develop
and strengthen. The addition of Lin-
coln to the SKF Group has seen the
latter enjoy a much better customer-
reach in the Indian market, and to-
gether they would add a lot more
value to the customers.
SKF has launched new products
at regular intervals which constantly
provide the much-needed techno-
logical boost to industries. One of
the recently launched products is the
Long term targets
l
15% Operating margin level
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8% Annual sales growth in local
currencies
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27% ROCE (Return On Capital
Employed)
Mr. Tom Johnstone, President and CEO, AB SKF, addressing the Technical Press Day
meet in Mumbai
“Our ability to be both local and
global is a major strength of
our knowledge of technology at
SKF. Our technology platforms
include Seals, Bearings, Lubrica-
tion systems, Mechatronics and
services. The way we use the
technology platforms is an ad-
vantage for SKF.”
– Mr. Tom Johnstone
By R. Natarajan, Managing Editor & Publisher