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martinrea.qxd 24/11/06 11:56 am Page 76 money. In this case, a buy decision made sense. There great reputation for running a decentralised operation have also been many assets available for sale of which with passion and the knowledge of how to unlock the we have taken advantage. These can include a press, skill sets of our people so that we can encourage them to robots, assembly lines and so on. be entrepreneurs. Every plant has its own economy. The In October this year, Martinrea reached an agreement general manager shares in the profits and is encouraged for the purchase of the North American automotive to be an owner/operator, to continue to build a body and chassis operations of ThyssenKrupp Budd successful reputation and future for his employees. Company of Troy, Michigan. The purchase price will be Decisions such as whether or not to buy a press, to add approximately US$275 million, comprised of US$95 technology or to add people to improve processes are million in cash and the balance in assumed liabilities ones which cost or benefit the general manager, and when the transaction is completed at the end of this that 's a great way to engender the entrepreneurial ye a r. The acquired operations cover 13 plants outlook that we're looking for. throughout North America, with over 3,500 employees, In order for our decentralised structure to work, he as well as a technical centre in Michigan. Martinrea has adds, we are very lean at the corporate office, which is indicated that the acquired assets are expected to attached to one of our factories. We do not have a generate 2007 sales of around CDN$1 billion. The four significant, over-burdening hierarchy of people there, largest customers of the acquired business are the probably no more than 20. We do have a sales group and Detroit Big Three and Nissan, a technology group in Detroit each with over ten percent of who interface a lot with the There is a tremendous amount of the revenues generated. customers and our structure consolidation and repositioning We're finding that encourages accountability going on in North America ever ything's for sale, smiles and allows people to grow. Rob Wildeboer Wi l d e b o e r. There is a We've had great success tremendous amount of consolidation and repositioning stories where a lot of young people, who are very going on in North America and, on the fluid systems a g gre s s i ve and do great jobs, are promoted and s i d e, in the recent past we've seen a number of rewarded and given the opportunity to show what they transactions, including the purchase of ITT Industries by c a n do. It's a philosophy that works, not just in Cooper Standard. On the metal forming side, we've seen automotive, but in any service business. The true value is a number of companies go out of business, we've seen in our people. plant takeovers and we've seen some big suppliers in At Martinrea there is empowerment everywhere. restructuring mode. We look at opportunities ranging Anyone on the shop floor can pick up a phone and talk from the acquisition of equipment to the acquisition of to the CEO, the president, the chairman or any executive companies. We look at many opportunities - to look is a any time an issue brews or an idea is born. The CEO has great way of educating yourself as to what is going on in an open door policy accessible to all and that philosophy the industry. is true throughout the whole company. Martinrea has an In today's troubled automotive climate, there are Employee Bill of Rights that entrenches this policy. suppliers which are losing their battles and others, like Executives are also addressed by their first name. You Mar tinrea, which are clearly winning. Rob Wildeboer is make it or lose it on the floor and you've got to be close quick to attribute the company's success to its people. to your people, says Wildeboer. Companies which The passion of our people and the things we do to forget that suddenly find that they're not as lean or as encourage that passion are key to the success of the efficient as they could otherwise be. Most companies company, he states firmly. Our CEO, Fred Jaekel, has a out there don't walk the talk. 76 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AutoMOTIVE 5

Editors Note
News
Here For The Long Haul
Halewood. Rebirth of a Car Plant
Safety First
Focus on Flexibility
A Prophet Without Honour?
Chrysler Cuts It Four Ways
A MINI For All Reasons
Porsche Plans Continuous Logistics Improvement
Flawless, Consistent Execution
Ford's European Supplier Parks Deliver Lean Manufacturing Efficiencies
Cheap and Cheerful
Onwards and Upwards
Schrader and Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems Take the Pressure
No Faults Forward
A Long Way From Wheelbarrows and Bath Tubs
A New Era in US/Japanese Cooperation
A Dialogue of the Deaf

AutoMOTIVE 5

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