Automotive supplier Grammer (Amberg / Germany; www.grammer.com) is planning a comprehensive conversion and expansion of its Haselmühl / Germany plant to be future-ready. As part of the “Mayflower” project – named after the sailing ship on which the English pilgrims set out for America in 1620 – the plant for commercial vehicle seats is to be converted into a “blueprint for ‘Seat Production 4.0’”, CTO Jens Öhlenschläger announced. However, the injection moulding company, which also processes polyurethane foams, did not reveal any specifics.

The automotive group’s figures continued to improve in Q2 2021, even though the revenue of EUR 468.8m was down significantly on the EUR 503.7m recorded in the first three months of 2021. Grammer attributes this to the decline in customer call-offs as a result of the semiconductor bottleneck.

Compared to previous year’s weak second quarter, revenues increased by two thirds, driven in particular by the business in North America, which grew by almost 150% to EUR 116m. However, EBIT for North America remained clearly negative for the first half of the year. Europe – the largest sector in absolute terms – grew by 68% to EUR 270.3m in the second quarter. The Asia-Pacific region lagged behind with an increase in sales of “only” 16.6% to EUR 103.3m. Since the start of the year, Grammer has been reporting according to regional divisions and no longer according to the two previous segments, Automotive (passenger car seats and interior components) and Commercial Vehicles (commercial vehicle seats). The group intends to massively increase its presence in Asia, where Grammer is establishing a JV with the FAW group, the largest Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles (see Plasteurope.com of 06.05.2021).

The supervisory board rewarded the increased focus on the growth market of Asia by the group’s executive board, led by CEO Thorsten Seehars, as well as the partially successful cost-cutting measures in Europe and North America, with an early extension of the contracts of Seehars and CFO Jurate Keblyte until 2027. CTO Jens Öhlenschläger’s contract had already been extended until 2026 in March.