VERNON HILLS, Ill. – For ZF Services North America, the strategic aftermarket business unit of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, 2009 marked a year of achievements, including new business, increased investment and the merger of ZF Trading North America and ZF Sales & Service NA, first announced last year. The company is also undertaking a 129,000-square-foot expansion of its Vernon Hills, Ill., facility, and entering the wind turbine gearbox service field.
Two of the key achievements during 2009 were the newly established relationships with CARQUEST and O’Reilly/CSK as SACHS clutch vendors.
“These contracts are a significant accomplishment for us, as it clearly demonstrates our ability to work together as one company following the merger,” said Tim Corcoran, president and COO, ZF Services North America.
MERGER LEADS TO EXPANSION
ZF leadership supported the expansion with capital and personnel investments and was intent on retaining employees. To reach this goal, ZF offered all full-time employees at the Sheffield Village and Westlake, Ohio, locations positions at the Vernon Hills, Ill., headquarters.
As part of the integration in Vernon Hills, ZF Services restructured its operations to focus on product management, while assuming responsibility for cataloging and marketing communications for each of the organization’s product lines/brands: Sachs, Lemförder, ZF Parts and Stabilus. The launch of the Lemförder steering and suspension program for U.S. vehicles and further development of the SACHS shock absorber product line are direct results of this investment.
This effort led to the need for expansion, said the company. When completed, the 289,000-square-foot facility will be a high-end remanufacturing and distribution center for aftermarket products and the wind turbine gearbox service center.
The expansion is expected to be completed in 2010, and will mark the third global wind energy location for ZF, following Nottingham, United Kingdom, and Dortmund, Germany.
