German BMW supplier investment arrives in Guanajuato

Germany and Guanajuato leading strategic and commercial partners

During the past years, more than 40 German companies have placed their trust in Guanajuato, most of them are from the automotive and auto-parts sector, which have generated more than 10 thousand direct jobs.

This is how the commercial interest and economic development grows by Waldaschaff Automotive Tier1 company, which opened its plant settled in the Vynmsa Industrial Park in the municipality of Leon, Guanajuato, with an investment of 20 million dollars and the generation of 250 direct jobs throughout seven years.

This company will manufacture containment systems for premium vehicle collisions and will supply BMW, Audi, Bentley, and Porsche.

Meanwhile Jurgen Rosin, chief operating systems of Waldaschaff Automotive Mexico, since 2017 when they took control of the building that currently houses the company in Leon, Guanajuato, which began with the search of suppliers that will manufacture the equipment they specifically will be using, designed for their needs, which come from countries like Italy, China, US and Germany, same that began being installed last May.

“Our products slowly turned into a proven work in terms of quality and production, we already had BMW as the main customer settled in San Luis Potosi; however, we gain more confidence from prestige brands and that is how we gradually consolidate in the market,” he referred.

He noted that with this project, Waldaschaff also places the cornerstone for other projects, looking to acquire new projects with other companies, as they are currently working on a request from an important automotive brand for their vehicles generation.

WALDASCHAFF CONSOLIDATES IN GUANAJUATO

Horst Bardehle, CEO of Waldaschaff Automotive Global, said the company in Germany has two production plants located in Waldaschaff 55 km southwest Frankfurt and Selbach, 80 km southwest Frankfurt.

He explained that the company’s main approach in business is the auto-parts systems, such as the front and rear bumper, as well as the crash protection system, windows rails, doors components and compartments for the battery box in new electric vehicles.

After the company was acquired by Lingyun Corporation in September 2015, the development of the company had accelerated growth.

“With Lingyun support, we have transformed into an international company achieving quality projects, as we serve our customers in a global manner and the best example is that currently our BMW product made in Guanajuato, the European version of the same model is also produced in the plant Waldaschaff Automotive Germany, the same happens with the Chinese version of this model and I hope there are much more similar projects in the future,” he said.

Besides, he detailed that by choosing Mexico as part of their investments outside Germany, market research was fulfilled deeply looking for quality supply that was how Guanajuato resulted in the best place for that due to the industrial environment and automotive activity supplied by most of the cities in the State.

“The plant in Mexico began with three employees and today are 50 employees and the BMW production line that began operations in April 2019 have provided satisfying results and beyond our customer expectations,” he noted.

Regarding the workforce specialized in Guanajuato, he said that many employees working for Waldaschaff have been sent to Germany to be trained in the use of machinery and new technologies, besides being trained with specialized technicians, which offered training in human resources area, logistics, production, quality, welding, and finances.

Expected Growth

Cesar Ricardo Rodriguez Martinez, finance director at Waldaschaff Mexico, said that the investment in the Plant in Mexico has anticipated future investments for expansions, as the company is continuously seeking for new projects serving the current demand, therefore the announcement of future expansion is not discarded. “Products manufactured by Waldaschaff have excellent quality and fulfill the requirements of the industry regarding premium class automobiles, which is an opportunity to open us a way in that market,” he noted.

Regarding the effect in the area, he said that it is one of the companies dedicated to aluminum management and of the few German companies dedicated to this sector in the automotive area, which opens them the door to attract new customers.

“The company specializes in working with aluminum, which is an activity fulfilled by few automotive companies, as in terms of welding, drilling and seal aluminum, we are a company expert and professional, therefore we use our and specific technology, which is in what the company bet more when they arrived in Mexico,” he explained.

Looking for a direct flight to Frankfurt

After the arrival of German investments to Guanajuato and the presence of a good percentage of German origin inhabitants, the Government of the state of Guanajuato is managing a direct flight from the Bajio Airport to the city of Frankfurt, therefore, it is sought for German companies in the entity join through the signing of a document to state such need and make the request.

He said that this kind of flights is fundamental to improve German connectivity with the area and even to consolidate, more investments to Guanajuato and the Bajio region.

This is how a group from the directorate of Sustainable Economic Development and the Ambassador of Mexico in Germany, have settled meetings with Lufthansa, German aerial company considered as the biggest airline of Europe, to fulfill the corresponding management.

LINGYUN CORPORATION

LingYun Industrial Corporation Limited is an international auto-parts manufacturing company, positioned in 76th position in auto-parts producers globally in 2018.

In this sense, Mu Yuehui, president of LingYun Industrial, informed that this has been thanks to the quick development of the automotive industry and the global strategy of the company for seeking and always applying the latest technology.

“Waldaschaff is one of the biggest companies with which we had synergy and collaboration, with the support of LingYun it has developed customers of the highest quality and has been a reliable customer of many assemblers,” he noted.

Yuehui explained that with the launching of Waldaschaff more companies will increasingly join LingYun to develop products and specific technology, therefore he did not discard attracting more investments into the State.

In auto-parts matters, LingYun Industrial Corp., Ltd, is the first corporation in developing a door frame, steel bumpers, and crash protection bar. It is the only one in China that designs and develops door frames, roller steel bumper, stamped with different automobiles manufacturers. LingYun has a computer emulator system and has a low-speed collision laboratory.

VYNMSA LEON

Aiming to serve as a social and economic attraction vehicle to southern Leon, Vynmsa opened its doors in October 2016 and currently, one of the main projects that attracted this industrial complex is fulfilled, the launching of Waldaschaff.

Diego Romero Gil, president of Vynmsa Leon, said that the start of operations of this plant settles the consolidation of Vynmsa Leon, as it was the first foreign company betting on this 100 % Mexican capital project.

He reported that this park projected the creation of 2,500 jobs and the construction of 15 industrial buildings with an investment of 48.3 million dollars for the infrastructure. “The park currently has five companies, we have an inventory building and we are constructing a second one to have product available for companies and we have Built to Suits and are flexible regarding property land dimensions required by the company,” he detailed.

Romero Gil explained that this industrial complex was one of the main attractions for investment to the southern area of the city, offering first level products.

“Companies bring a nearby community support program with them, they are very important for us, as that is precisely what we are looking for, to bring economic development, but also social development,” he said.

Besides having the advantage of being builders and industrial developers since 1994 in Mexico and since 2006 in Guanajuato, according to Gilberto Gonzalez, commercial director of Vynmsa Bajio, the leasing and sale of industrial spaces in the park have grown considerably in the last years, VYNMSA is present in other two States in the Bajio. In Guanajuato, the company founded in 1994 has leasing spaces for industries in Leon, Silao, Guanajuato, Celaya, Apaseo el Grande, and San Miguel de Allende.