Speaking at the 65th International Exhibition for Commercial Vehicles, IAA, Kässbohrer board member Ms. Iffet Turken said that Kässbohrer is stepping forward in trailer engineering and customer service to make a difference for its global customer base.
Ms. Turken told the attendees of Kässbohrer press conference that Kässbohrer is the fastest growing European semi-trailer manufacturer in the first eight months of 2014, in key markets including Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Italy and Russia, with a sales unit increase of 27%. Ms. Turken went on to say that Kässbohrer’s sales growth is especially significant in Germany and that sales in Germany doubled in the January-August period of the current year, on year-on-year basis.
Explaining the latest investments of Kässbohrer, Ms. Turken presented the company’s most recent achievements within its five-year development plan until 2018, which had been announced in 2013.
KÄSSBOHRER SWITCHES TO FULL AUTOMATION IN CATAPHORESIS FACILITY IN ADAPAZARI
In its Adapazari plant, Kässbohrer has switched to full automation in its 10 million € cataphoresis (KTL) facility in June 2014. Accordingly, now the company has the ability to apply cataphoretic coating to 40 semi-trailer chassis and parts per shift. Kässbohrer has adopted the tri-electron method as its cataphoresis technology, since its anti-corrosion performance is higher compared to iron-phosphate-based cataphoresis.
The cataphoretic painting is an electro-chemical coating method, with the application of a layer on metal surfaces in order to increase the resistance of metal surfaces against corrosion. Cataphoresis insulates the metal sheet from oxygen and humidity, creating perfect conditions for long term corrosion resistance.
TANK AND SILO PRODUCTION CAPACITY INCREASED AMID HIGH DEMAND
In addition to its objective to become the market leader in Europe in tank and silo segment , higher demand led Kässbohrer to expand its tank and silo production facility by 40% to 15,000 m2. Accordingly, the company increased its aluminium tank and silo production capacity by 48% and its stainless tank production capacity by 42% in 2014, both year-on-year. In addition, with further capacity expansion Kässbohrer plans to increase its total tank and silo production capacity by twofold by 2015, compared to 2013.
KÄSSBOHRER TANK AND SILO REGISTRATIONS INCREASED 147% IN GERMANY IN JAN-AUG 2014
Powered by higher production capacity, Kässbohrer doubled its total tank and silo sales in its key markets, namely Germany, Netherland, Poland, Italy and Russia, in the first eight months of 2014. More particularly, Kässbohrer’s tank and silo sales have risen by 127% in Germany and by 130% in Poland, both in the January-August period of 2014 and on year-on –year basis. Consequently Kässbohrer’s tank and silo product segment became the product segment with the highest sales growth rate among its product ranges.
KÄSSBOHRER’S LOW-BED FACTORY GREW BY THREE TIMES REACHING 5,730 m2
To become the market leader in Europe in low-bed segment in 2016, Kässbohrer expanded its low-bed factory by three times to 5,730 m2. Consequently, the company has increased its low-bed production capacity by 75% year-on-year in 2014. With further investment, Kässbohrer will have increased its low-bed production capacity by 125% by 2015, compared to 2013.
In 2013, Kässbohrer introduced the hydraulic steering in its low-bed segment to provide maximum maneuverability during loading and unloading operations, as well as under the toughest road conditions. And the company launched four new hydraulic low bed semi-trailers, the SLH series, with 4 to 8 axles, reaching to 130-ton capacity. On top of that, Kässbohrer has also entered into low-loader segment with four products. Kässbohrer’s extendable low-loaders, the SLL series, come with 2 to 4 axles.
KÄSSBOHRER TULA PLANT COMMITTED TO RUSSIA WITH TULA INVESTMENT
In 2013, Kässbohrer opened a new production facility in Russia’s Tula oblast with a view of a long term investment in this vast and rapidly developing country. On an area reaching 50,000 m2 after a recent expansion of 7,000 m2, Kässbohrer’s Tula plant carries out assembly works of vehicles, exclusively engineered for the Russian market.
Kässbohrer’s tipper developed for Russia, K.SKS, demonstrates Kässbohrer capability to develop the right products for the right markets. Combining light chassis technology with heavy-duty body, K.SKS stands for reliability in the extreme conditions of transportation and handling at temperatures reaching as low as -40°C.
KÄSSBOHRER GOCH PLANT DELIVERIES DOUBLED IN 2014
Kässbohrer’s Goch plant has been fortified and now serves as the center of Kässbohrer’s western European sales network management. By investing further in human resources, Kässbohrer’s international sales operations headcount in Europe increased by 150% year-on-year in 2014 and this increase also brought a twofold increase in semi-trailer delivery rate made from the Goch plant in 2014, with the number of deliveries reached in the first six months of 2014 surpassing the total number of deliveries in full 2013.
ROAD AHEAD TO 2018 TOWARDS 20,000 UNIT ANNUAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY
In 2013, Kässbohrer had announced its development plan for the following 5 years until 2018. Accordingly, the company is aiming to reach an annual production capacity of 20,000 units and a turnover of €500 million per annum by 2018. On this path heading to 2018, Kässbohrer is planning to become market leader in Europe in tank and silo segment by 2015, and in low-bed segment by 2016. To accomplish its objectives, Kässbohrer has already taken steps forward and made an investment of €33 million between 2011 and 2013.
Having established its production network on three main locations, namely Goch-Germany, Tula-Russia and Adapazari-Turkey, Kässbohrer not only has expanded its production facilities, but its product range as well in the past two years.
About Kässbohrer:
ENGINUITY, SINCE 1893
In 1893, when Karl Kässbohrer founded his Wagenfabrik in Ulm, he redefined what trailer engineering could achieve. Today, thanks to staying true to his ethos for 120 years, Kässbohrer is used in more than 50 countries, has innovated in more ways and has a broader product line than Mr. Kässbohrer would have ever thought possible.
We bring our engineering capability and ingenuity to bear on customer service and delivery to guarantee success for the next 120 years.