Just over a decade ago, Swoboda made the strategic decision to set up its own site for representation on the dynamic Chinese market. This was successfully implemented in 2013, with the opening of the plant in Kunshan, near Shanghai. Since then, the site has been steadily developing further and expanding. From an initial staff body of 30 and 3,500 square meters of production area, the Swoboda Kunshan site has developed into a confident player, and has been able to convince numerous Tier 1 and OEM customers in China, Korea, India, and Europe of its competence.
“Key to success was the strong combination of Chinese speed, commitment, and flexibility with German reliability, together with the striving for perfection and quality,” pointed out Thomas Cornelius, General Manager of the Swoboda Kunshan site.
Today, 10 years on, the site employs around 800 staff members and covers more than 45,000 square meters of building space, 25,000 square meters of which is its own production area. All key functions, including research and development, project management, tool making, automation, sales, and purchasing, are integrated into the site. Positive development is driven by the in-depth expertise and deep market knowledge of the Chinese employees, and the close communication that is always maintained with the other international Swoboda sites. Furthermore, Swoboda Kunshan plans to further increase its research and development capacity over the coming years, in order to satisfy future demands and best support its clients in their relevant markets.
The outstanding cooperation of all parties involved and the significance of the automotive industry at the Kunshan site was highlighted by Swoboda owner, Dr. Matthias Groth, Lukas Meyer (representative of the German General Consul in Shanghai), Wang Chao, and Zhang Xiaodong (both directors of “CPC KETD Working Committee and KETD Administrative Committee”).
Swoboda can look back on a successful decade in China and is optimistic for the coming years, which will be shaped by further innovation and growth.