As part of its future program “Agenda 4 plus One”, Schaeffler is investing 60 million euros to enhance its location in Bühl. This project will see the construction of a state-of-the-art development building and new headquarters for the company’s Automotive OEM division. At the same time, the globally active automotive and industrial supplier will boost its activities in the field of electric mobility worldwide. Among those in attendance during the groundbreaking ceremony was Georg F. W. Schaeffler, shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG.
He said: “The new building that will be constructed here is a milestone in Schaeffler’s company history. Our choice of Bühl as the location for Automotive’s headquarters is a sign of how much we appreciate the outstanding work that has been done here over the last few decades.” LuK GmbH & Co. KG was co-founded in 1965 by the Schaeffler brothers and fully integrated into the Schaeffler Group at the end of the 1990s. An employee day was held in conjunction with the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the company’s new corporate presentation, Schaeffler’s globally standardized logo having now replaced the yellow LuK logos.
Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, explained: “With our new Automotive OEM headquarters in Bühl, we are taking a further step towards becoming what we want to be: One Schaeffler Group, with one global strategy and one set of strong values. The best way to achieve this is with one common brand: The Schaeffler brand.”
In his speech, Matthias Zink, CEO of Automotive OEM at Schaeffler AG, added: “We will be using this new building primarily to develop technologies for electric mobility and mobility for tomorrow for our customers, so its construction represents far more than just a capacity increase.”
Worldwide competence centers for electric mobility
The E-Mobility business division is becoming increasingly significant in the light of Schaeffler’s “Mobility for tomorrow” strategy. Schaeffler has opened global competence centers for electric mobility in Bühl, in Wooster (USA), and in Anting (China), which will be steered from the new headquarters and work as a network on new drive technologies, future mobility solutions for urban living spaces, and components designed to make automobiles more eco-friendly.
Building to set the standard in industrial design
The new building will set the standard in industrial design in Bühl and the surrounding region. A total area of 23,400 square meters is planned, which will include office space for some 500 employees, a canteen, and a spacious conference area as well as prototype construction and test rig facilities. 350 new jobs, primarily in the field of electric mobility, are expected to be created over the next few years.
The building will also break new ground when it comes to networking and the so-called “New Work” office concept – an open, modern workplace design that provides functional areas, “3D” communication across all levels, and a canteen that features a “Work Café”. State-of-the-art conference technology will ensure that colleagues around the world can always communicate in real time.
Corporate presentation standardized
An employee event was also held in Bühl to celebrate the worldwide standardization of Schaeffler’s corporate presentation as part of the company’s future program “Agenda 4 plus One”, with which Schaeffler is driving forward its strategy “Mobility for tomorrow”.
“With the Schaeffler logo now in place, we are set to write the next chapter in our company’s success story”, said Matthias Zink, CEO of Automotive OEM at Schaeffler AG. “Our future success depends on having a strong Schaeffler brand, which will give our customers a point of orientation and allow us to position ourselves globally as a preferred technology partner”, Zink continued. The LuK product brand will be retained, but in future will only be used in conjunction with the associated products and together with the Schaeffler corporate brand.
District administrator Jürgen Bäuerle was delighted about Schaeffler’s investment in Bühl, and expressed his certainty during the groundbreaking ceremony: “We are seeing the strategy “Mobility for tomorrow” being driven forward here – and I certainly offer my congratulations on the bright future that lies ahead.” He thanked those responsible for the investments being made and for making the Bühl location fit for the future.
Bühl’s mayor Hubert Schnurr talked about Schaeffler’s historical significance for Bühl: “Schaeffler has always played a part in shaping Bühl, and the updated corporate presentation we see today clearly marks the start of an exciting new era for us all.” He asked Georg F. W. Schaeffler to sign the city of Bühl’s “Golden Book” and thus ensure that this important moment will go down in the city’s history.
