Bergen explores new areas of business

Bergen Systems, which operates out of Gurgaon near Delhi, plans to enter into a joint venture with an international partner. This will specialise in making capital goods for the auto sector.

Managing director, Pradeep Kaura told Autocar Professional, “We are also exploring new areas of business relating to the power sector. We have products for solar energy and want to have a complete range to provide a total solution in this arena.”

The Rs 18 crore Bergen markets and services machinery for auto companies making wire harnesses and electronic products. It has targeted Rs 30 crore turnover in the current fiscal.

VARIOUS MACHINES

In the wire harness industry, the company sells products belonging to Komax of Switzerland, Mecal of Italy, Schunk, Ondal and Adaptronic of Germany. Machines sold include those for automatic wire cutting, stripping and crimping, electronic wire welding and wire harness-tapping.

Kaura and his brother, Rajinder Kumar started Bergen (which is a town in Norway) in 1984 with PCB assembly and wire harness machines after which they graduated to PCB manufacturing machines. “Our area of activity is selling and servicing office automation products. We started with Komax in 1988,” says Kaura. Nearly two-thirds of Bergen’s business comes from the automotive industry. In electronics, it sells machines that make parts for ignition controls, airbags etc. The company does not sell one machine but offers complete solutions.

“When we started with PCBs, we began supplying machines to the electronic industry. There were hardly any for wire harnessing. In the last decade, this has picked up and it has been strong growth,” says vice-president, Mahesh Gulati. Bergen’s customers come from different industries right from automotive and telecommunications to defence and electronics. They include the likes of Delphi, Deepak Auto, Minda, Tyco, Motherson Sumi, Tata Yazaki and Napino.

BETS BIG ON AUTO

The company sells 30 to 40 fully automatic machines annually. The Komax ones are more expensive. Bergen is betting big on the auto sector. Even though 35 percent of its revenues in the electronics division come from this industry, Kaura feels the potential is bigger. The company has also got into die-casting. It sells machines made by Techmire of Canada which are used in the automotive industry. Locks, steering controls and mirrors are also part of its portfolio. Minda has decided to buy the first machine.

Bergen will soon have an office in Pune too. It also has a support outfit in Indonesia where it has supplied electronic and wire harnessing machines. The company has started assembling and selling on its own add-on parts like accessories tools, trolleys, roller conveyors and tables. “We have supplied these accessories to Napino, Varroc and the Defence,” Kaura says.

P THARYAN