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Shenyang, even being a 8 million city and growing to a 23 million metropolis area very soon, still does not have a German Chamber of Commerce. So where to bundle the networking activities of the economic heavyweights in the heart of Dongbei? Bars are not suitable, outdoor is not a favorite pastime in Northeast China…but we have the European Union. Shenyang with its two Megafactories from France and Bavaria, Michelin and BMW, is an ideal spot for a small but active European Chamber. Sierra Wang leads it since many years and the presidency is changing frequently from Johnson Controls to Michelin and BMW-Brilliance. 38 firms are the members of this relatively new EU Chamber in China.

Der deutsche Mittelstand ist für chinesische Unternehmen und Investoren äußerst attraktiv. Darin sind sich Cangron Ma, ehemaliger chinesischer Botschafter, Prof. Dr. Helmut Haussmann, Wirtschaftsminister a.D., und Norbert Scheuch, CEO von Putzmeister und Vorstand der Sany Group, einig. Die drei Chinaexperten trafen sich Mitte September zum Fachdialog bei der Staufen AG in Köngen/Stuttgart. Das Credo des Abends: Die KMU in der Bundesrepublik werden nicht darum herumkommen, sich mit dem Reich der Mitte auseinanderzusetzen.

Since 1st July 2012, Eckhard Gatawis has been directing the Staufen AG’s Business Unit Automotive. The excellent Lean Expert consciously changed from the automotive supply industry to the consultancy business in order to assist more companies with his expertise. With a degree in mechanical engineering, he has – due to his practical knowledge of more than twenty years – experience in the development and roll-out of production systems, the set-up and restructuring of plants and in the design of a global manufacturing footprints. In particular the implementation, communication and training of Lean principles, including the appropriate introduction of KPIs, are among his strengths, as well as international project management skills in multicultural structures. “My goal is to further establish the Business Unit Automotive at Staufen and to drive our customers from Lean Production to a Lean Enterprise, “said Gatawis. “Furthermore, we plan to advance the internationalisation of the business unit according to the needs of the OEMs and suppliers of the automotive industry.”

We are pleased to announce that RECARO Aircraft Seating is new BestPractice Partner for Staufen Polska. Built up in 2006, Świebodzin in Poland is the “youngest” plant of RECARO Aircraft Seating. There, since 2007, RECARO Aircraft Seating has manufactured aircraft seats for the Economy Class in the European market. Around 70 employees work in assembly, certification and in-time delivery at a 2.200 m² site. Currently a completely new production facility with 8.000 m² is built up, where the plant will move in from August 2012.

Reduction of growth rates, increasing wages and energy prices mean more and more negative headlines regarding China’s economic situation. According to the European Chamber of Commerce, a fifth of all companies are already reconsidering their investments in China.

Anche quando si tratta di consegnare in tempi brevi e a costi ragionevoli prodotti realizzati su specifica del cliente è possibile riorganizzare i processi in senso “Lean” , eliminando sprechi e ottimizzando le risorse. Attraverso un’azione coordinata su livelli di standardizzazione del prodotto, creazione di punti di disaccoppiamento,  spostamento a valle delle attività di personalizzazione, logiche pull di gestione dei materiali, ecc., lo stabilimento di Brembate di Sopra (BG) è stato progressivamente riorganizzato con il supporto di Staufen Italia.

Lean-Management-Beratung mit Preis der Wirtschaftswoche ausgezeichnet „Best of Consulting“ – Beste Berater für den Mittelstand: Mit dieser Auszeichnung der Wirtschaftswoche und der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Management und Beratung darf sich die Staufen AG aus Köngen seit dieser Woche schmücken.

„Der beste Sitzhersteller aus Sicht seiner Kunden“ – diesen Anspruch hat Recaro Aircraft Seating bereits 2006 in einem Leitbild formuliert. Ein wesentlicher Baustein auf dem Weg dorthin war die Einführung von Lean Management: Produktivität und Termintreue konnten durch die implementierten Maßnahmen schnell gesteigert werden.

As manufacturers nurse their wounds after the worst recession since the 1930s, many are taking a long, hard look at their business models and making some changes. For many companies, this has meant increasing the proportion of revenue generated by non-traditional activities such as service provision. For others, the soul searching has prompted a move from high-volume goods to high-value products.