AD MAGAZINE 342

18 March 2018 | AutoData SUPPLIERS » REACTION CAPACITY “The support of the matrix in the crisis has now left us in a privileged position” Jürgen Kneissler, Cooper Standard “We consider the current projection of Anfavea as quite optimistic” Célio Takata, NGK pany is quite verticalized, which reduces its dependence on links below itself in the chain. But for him “the ones that depended exclusively on OEM supply suffered a lot, there is a financial stress on several links. The automakers will have a lot of work to do to get everything right.” DIVINE SHEPHERD Who is also working with double-digit projection for 2018 is Cooper Standard, according to Jürgen Kneissler, its direc- tor general for South America: from 20% to 25% over 2017, which was already 15% better than 2016. The company currently operates mos- tly in two shifts, but some areas have al- ready advanced to the third one. The executive believes that the com- pany is in a “privileged situation”, as it had the assistance of the US headquarter du- ring the crisis, which left it ready for the reaction that is happening now. “If we need to, we can grow even more this year”. Cooper Standard has now decided to formalize an investment plan that has spent the last two years in calmwater, and from April it will set up a new production unit in the municipality of Divina Pastora, in the State of Sergipe, to attend FCA in Goiana, PE. “We are going to produce there, it is already decided.” Production begins in the second half, but Kneissler points out that the initiative is more related to logistics strategy than to the market reaction itself. In turn, Célio Takata, Director of OEM Sales of NGK do Brasil, says the company was very pessimistic about 2017. It was expected a decrease for 2016, but the second half helped and the result ended in a tie, helped by exports. For 2018 the company follows the forecast of Anfavea, that is, at the house of 13%, although the executive considers this index as “very optimistic”. He justifies this position by explaining that there are factors for this year that need to be balanced in regards to sales projections, such as soccer world cup and elections. “The market is still not very balanced”. By the technical characteristic of spark plugs production system, NGK’s main product, the company always operates in two shifts - it can not reduce to one but can not also grow to three. This does not, however, prevent an increase in supply, explains Takata. Du- ring the crisis, NGK insured itself well by exporting to other units around the world and now, if necessary, can negotiate with the Japanese parent company a new lo- cal production design that privileges the supply of the domestic market itself. This support from the matrix was fun- damental to the company in the last two years, in which it not only maintained investments but also hired employees, although in figures not disclosed by the executive. A new nationalization has already been confirmed: more modern and durable spark plugs imported by the company from Japan will be produced in Mogi das Cruzes, SP, later this year. “We are prepa- ring to increase capacity not only for this year, but even further ahead, 2020, 2021, Disclousure/Cooper Standard Disclousure/NGK