Hungarian automotive industry: week 40 2017 edition
Audi celebrates major milestone: 500,000th car rolls off production line in Győr. Jaguar Land Rover starts hiring to new Nitra plant, to be launched next year. Let’s recap what the 40th week this year brought in Hungary’s automotive sector.
Manufacturers
Audi Hungaria has reached an important milestone in car manufacturing: the 500,000th car, an Audi TT S, has rolled off the production line, and is waiting to be delivered to a customer in the United Kingdom.
The construction of Jaguar Land Rover’s latest manufacturing plant in Nitra is going according to plan, the car maker has started the installation of manufacturing lines.
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At the same time, the company has begun hiring new employees: they have plans to add 1,000 people to their payroll by next March.
Daimler is unlikely to be using the new test track in Zalaegerszeg, as the car maker is preparing to open its brand-new, €200 million test centre in South Germany at the end of next year. The former military site will offer a wide range of testing opportunities for the AG.
Suppliers
Machine builder Pata József Gépipari Kft. celebrated its 30th anniversary last Friday. Earning the car maker’s Supplier of the Year award ten times for its outstanding quality in production, the Fajsz-based family business is one of Suzuki’s largest Hungarian partners.
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Characterised by continued development throughout its entire history, Sanmina-SCI Magyarország Kft. is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Currently, the company has 1,200 employees, but its looking to expand its headcount by 200 people next year.
Bosch, a company assuming an ever-increasing role in the technologies of the future, began operation in Hungary 15 years ago in Miskolc. The global technology and services supplier presented the results of the latest investment of hand tool developer and manufacturer Robert Bosch Power Tool Kft. at a press conference last week, where it also announced new development projects at automotive supplier Robert Bosch Energy and Body Systems Kft.
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Service providers
Officials propose new consortium to be formed for the new test track in Zalaegerszeg. At a meeting of senior officials last week it was revealed that construction works are going according to plan, while tests could be conducted as early as one year from now.
Polyax Alkatrészgyártó Kft., a company engaged in metalworking, milling, induction heat treatment and hard chrome plating, and machine builder GE-CO Hungary Kft. are celebrating the 18th anniversary of their joint efforts.
This remarkable 18-year-long partnership was assessed by Balázs Gál, the owner and CEO of Polyax, and Reith Thomas, one of the owners of the Hungarian distributor of the largest Korean, Japanese, American and Turkish metalworking machinery.
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FANUC Europe Corporation, a leading manufacturer of CNC control systems, robots and automated manufacturing machinery, has given an account of its latest strategic steps: the company announced plans to centralise its product customisation and logistics activities at its new CDC in Contern, Luxembourg, to ensure shorter delivery times. We interviewed Andrea Scammacca, head of European supply chain.
Analyses
In September, 9,607 new cars were registered in Hungary, a 16.8 percent increase y/y from 2016.
In the first nine months of the year, 82,681 cars were registered, 19.1 percent up y/y from January–September 2016, the Hungarian Vehicle Importers’ Association (MGE) reported last week.
