PARIS — Valeo has inaugurated two new sites in China this week: a global Electronics Expertise Center in Shenzhen and a wiper systems production plant in Wenling, China.
"The opening of the new Electronics Expertise Center and the new wiper systems plant are a further demonstration of Valeo’s strategy to accelerate its development in fast-growing markets, in particular in China where the group aims to double its sales by 2015," said CEO Jacques Aschenbroich. "The R&D activity is key to support this development. The number of our engineers in China will more than double, from 1,300 in 2010 to 3,000 in the next five years. Beyond China, Asia is a key market for Valeo, which represented 19 percent of our total sales in 2010 and should increase to represent around 30 percent in 2015."
The new Electronics Expertise Center will be staffed by a team of more than 100 highly qualified engineers by the end of the year and 200 by 2015, Valeo says, and will focus on electronic hardware development and services for all Valeo Group entities. It will also play a major role in the future development of electronic components for electric vehicles.
The center will provide electronics engineering services, CAD (computer-aided design) layout engineering and supplier quality support for all Valeo product lines. It is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware test benches, thermal chambers and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) test equipment. Around-the-clock engineering services will be available to all Valeo entities, in order to satisfy the demand of the Group’s customers worldwide.
The new center is located within Valeo’s Shenzhen production plant, which was recently expanded, enabling it to significantly increase its production of top column modules, switches and control panels and ultrasonic systems.
Valeo has also inaugurated a new wiper systems site in Wenling. This new production plant replaces the former plant, which opened in 1994. It employs around 800 employees and allows the Group to significantly increase its production of wiper and washer systems for its customers in China and worldwide. The company noted that this facility complements another Valeo wiper systems site in Shanghai (in partnership with SAIC – Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.) and contributes to Valeo’s leadership position in wiper systems worldwide.
Valeo is present in China through its four business groups – Powertrain Systems, Thermal Systems, Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems and Visibility Systems – as well as the Valeo Service aftermarket activity. In 2010, the Group employed nearly 8,000 people in China in 15 production sites, 3 R&D centers, 8 engineering centers and an aftermarket distribution center.
