May 17, 2013: Italian automotive supplier Magneti Marelli has inaugurated a new automotive lighting industrial plant for the production of automotive components in the city of Foshan, Guangdong province, in the south of China.
The plant, whose construction saw an investment of about Euro 30 million (Rs 213 crore), will initially produce rear lights. Subsequently, it will also manufacture front headlamps and electronic lighting components.
In its first phase, it will manufacture about 2.4 million rear lamps a year, with a total workforce of approximately 300 employees.
The products are mainly targeted at the Chinese market and for international customers located in the south of China. Part of the production will be exported to Japan. The first rear lights to come off the production line will be fitted on models from Fiat, Ford and Nissan.
Specifically, the new Foshan plant will contribute to supporting the Automotive Lighting division’s growth plans in the Chinese market. The division operates in Wuhu (with about 800 employees) and in Shanghai (Headquarters and Research Centre). The goal is to reach a 10 percent market share in the medium term, gradually expanding the footprint to all strategic automotive areas in China.
Eugenio Razelli, CEO of Magneti Marelli stated:“Magneti Marelli with a consolidated presence since 1996, three joint ventures in the last two years and future plans for a further developed footprint, aims to be a partner of excellence in this huge market capable of helping the Chinese automotive segment and international customers as they deal with and overcome the challenges of technological quality and sustainable mobility”.
“The opening of this new plant represents an important milestone for the history and presence of Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting in China, – said Sylvain Dubois, general manager, Automotive Lighting China – where we plan to grow significantly in the following years. According to this strategy, we aim at providing the best support possible to the carmakers operating in China from a logistical standpoint and at enabling their evolution in crucial technological area, linked with safety, consumption and emission reduction and, last but not least, design”.
With an incidence of more than Euro 2 billion (Rs 14,242 crore) in Magneti Marelli’s total turnover of Euro 5.8 billion (Rs 41,301 crore), approximately 22 million headlamps and 22 million rear lights produced annually, Automotive Lighting represents one of the main areas of Magneti Marelli’s business footprint as well as one of the leading players at the global level in the lighting sector. Automotive Lighting features a global presence, with 19 facilities throughout the world, R&D centres focused on innovation located in Europe (specifically, in Germany and in Italy) and 15 application centres operating in 13countries: Brazil, Czech Republic, China, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the U.S.
Magneti Marelli has been operating in China since 1996 with production facilities and R&D/Engineering Centres in Shanghai (Powertrain in a JV with Shanghai Automobile Gear Works - SAGW – and Exhaust Systems), Wuhu (Automotive Lighting and Powertrain), Guangzhou (Electronic Systems), Hangzhou (Shock Absorbers in a JV with Wanxiang Qianchao Company), Changsha (exhausts systems with Fiat/GAC), Changchun (Powertrain in a JV with FUDI) and in Hefei (exhaust systems with JAC and Lingdatang).
Photograph: Eugenio Razelli, CEO of Magneti Marelli and the new plant at Foshan.