An exclusive report from MOTORINDIA
Frenzel GmbH is a medium-scale company with 60 years of experience to its credit. The company manufactures standard products such as on-board kitchens, refrigerators, coffee machines, hot water boilers, TV and video systems for coaches and trucks at its facility in Obersulm-Sülzbach near Heilbronn in Germany. With more than 75 employees it also builds special buses for customised applications.
Frenzel’s concepts for buses range from simple standard solutions and customised furnishings to new specifications for buses, coaches for football clubs, VIP buses for exclusive trips and for show business. The range of products is also supplemented through mobile and fixed refrigerators. The company has in its ranks qualified personnel and good technical know-how arising from years of experience, all of which would add more value to its customers.
Frenzel is part of the ever-growing list of German companies which are looking to introduce products in the growing Indian market. It sells its products through Vikas Refrigeration Agency in India.
Mr. Jürgen Thomas Kost, Senior Export Manager, said: “We visited Parveen Travels, Volvo, Corona Bus and Sutlej along with our partner in Ahmedabad, who are confident of collaborating with them for pantry kitchens for the coaches. We checked some of the latest buses in the market and had discussions with Vikas for some special type of products. We have supplied two kitchens to Volvo in India till now, and it has been received quite well.”
Frenzel has been studying the local market and feels that coach operators in general prefer lesser seats with more comfort and better service. The company is looking to take the usual CKD route to expand its presence in the Indian market, and it might eventually go for a local production facility if the orders grow in number.
Europe being its strongest market, Frenzel’s biggest customer is MAN, followed by Evobus which is an amalgamation of Mercedes-Benz and Setra. The Mercedes-Benz city-bus Citaro is equipped with Frenzel cooling systems. It is eyeing Van Hool, VDL Group and Volvo also. Another company which Frenzel is keen on partnering with is Temsa, a leading Turkish manufacturer which is currently active in price-sensitive markets.
Frenzel makes 11 standard types of kitchens, each offering different types of amenities. Currently the company produces 35 to 40 kitchens per week in Germany. It supplies 20 to 25 kitchens to MAN Turkey while five to ten units are delivered to Neoplan in Germany every week.
In 2011, Frenzel also got a big order from MAN for some of its non-European vehicles. Frenzel’s order books remain full during November to March as it sells around 3,500 kitchens and 3,500 refrigeration units annually.
In 2011, the company made a turnover of 10 million Euros which is expected to go up to 12 million Euros in 2012. It is quite confident of becoming an established name in the Indian bus market soon.