Annual report 2012 - VDL

1,500 employees will initially receive unemployment benefits, which began on 1 January 2013. As the
company ramps up its operating activities employees will return to work in phases (not later than 1 January
2015). The unemployment benefits will be supplemented by VDL Nedcar so that employees continue
receiving 100% of their wages. All employees are therefore guaranteed full retention of their job and pay.
In addition to the employees that will be needed for conversion of the factory and installation of equipment
for the new production processes, some employees will also be trained at BMW in Germany and the United
Kingdom. For the remaining employees work will be sought with companies inside and outside VDL Groep.
Investments
In 2012, VDL Groep invested 64 million euro (not including VDL Nedcar), half in business premises and the
other half in machinery and other equipment. At VDL Nedcar, 152 million euro was invested in land and
buildings, machinery and installations, and other fixed assets.
At VDL Parree in Sevenum, after completion of the new warehouse, the old warehouse was adapted to
house a huge new injection moulding machine, which was installed in the autumn of 2012. At VDL
Wientjes Emmen the new 6,000 m 2 space to house production and a warehouse was completed in mid-
2012. Both new warehouses, at VDL Parree and VDL Wientjes Emmen, are heated using residual heat from
the injection moulding machines, a great example of sustainable energy policy.
In early 2012, we purchased an additional building for VDL TIM Hapert. This building, located opposite the
current building, was demolished, rebuilt and opened in late 2012. With the acquisition of VDL Nedcar in
Born at the end of 2012, we also purchased the premises. The building encompasses approximately
300,000 m 2 of floor space and the land area is around 850,000 m 2 . In 2013 we will be investing a lot in
this building, both in terms of the building itself and the production equipment it contains.
VDL ETG Singapore is currently being expanded with a newly constructed building of 20,000 m 2 on three
floors. The entire project will be completed in the second half of 2013. Given the organic growth, we have
begun investing again, which will make additional expansion possible. For VDL Weweler in Apeldoorn we
started construction of a 24,000 m 2 factory in the first half of 2012. A completely new production line is
being built there, which will open in mid-2013. We also purchased land for Klima Warmtetechniek in
Hamont-Achel, Belgium. There, new construction of a 13,500 m 2 building will begin as soon as possible,
and completion is expected in 2014.
In total, VDL Groep owns more than 1,100,000 m 2 of commercial property. For 2013 we have construction
plans for VDL Wientjes Roden, where we will build a new two-storey building. For VDS Technische
Industrie in Hapert we plan to demolish and rebuild one building and raise the height of a portion of the
existing building. At VD Leegte Metaal in Hapert we are going to renovate an existing building and add
additional insulation. The same will be done at VDL Steelweld in Breda, where we are going to adapt the
height to accommodate the AGV project, as well as improve the building’s insulation.
29