NEWS & EVENTS > Berco at Bauma China for the first ... - Berco S.p.A

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From the SubsidiariesAt the foot of theBALKANS a new factoryat the service of BERCO TRACK SYSTEMSComplete “turnkey” undercarriage systems:an all-European challenge.The complete systems are actually designedand assembled at the factories in Copparo,Imola and the new Apriltsi branch in Bulgaria.Berco Bulgaria was formed on the 25th of July andwas fully ready for operation on the 1st of October2008, extending the Berco project on the supply ofcomplete systems, which began in October 2007 withthe purchase of Forteq.The location of the newly formed branch is Apriltsi,surrounded by the Central Balkan mountain chain,just two hours from Sofia with easy access viamotorway and rail.The industrial plant covers a surface area of about30,000 m2, with a main production building of about3,000 m2 and smaller buildings fitted out aswarehouses.The main activity being themanufacture of frames,with components fromthe Imola factoriesbeing welded here inthe Bulgarian branch.Production capacity isabout 500 frames a month.Currently, the branch has 35 employees workingunder Managing Director Plamen Peevski.The newly acquired facility has been thoroughlymodernised and restructured in these months,involving, on the one hand, the buildings, resultingin the standardisation not only of the plant, but alsothe administrative, IT and management processes.The new factory will make the newly created BercoTrack System division more competitive, furtherincreasing production capacity in response to theever more pressing need to respond to the demandnot only for complete systems for excavators,compact track loaders, asphalt pavers,road planers and rockboring machines,but also forw e l d e dstructuressuch asexcavator arms, rotary boxes, loader arms, lowerframes and other accessory structures for earthmoving machines. At a time when manymanufacturers and sub-suppliers have turned toSouth East Asian countries for their main ofsupply of complete steel structures, Berco hasdecided to keep its productionbase in Europe, in orderto be able to exercisemore direct controlover the entireprocess and face up tothe challenge fromemerging countries in amore cost-competitive way.With a strategy based on keepingdesign and production closely integrated, Berco isable to guarantee its customers high standards ofreliability in deliveries and manufacturing quality.At just over a year from the purchase of Forteq,we can safely say that we’re satisfied: the TrackSystems division is fully active, new projects havebeen launched with many others in the prototypestage and Berco engineering is currently workingon a number of new requests.All this is further evidence of the considerabledevelopment possibilities for Berco Track Systems.Matteo FrabettiAdministration DepartmentLuca BarattoniTrack System Division8BN56 > december 2008
From the SubsidiariesBerco UK: a very intense yearThe British branch has just ended its third financial year, withlots of things achieved and many more plans for the future.The Christmas period, perhaps morethan any other, is a time when youlook back and make an assessment ofthe year just ending.Looking back at the last twelvemonths, we can say that they werereally intensive, highly eventful andlived in two completely differenteconomic contexts: the former full oftrust in a very healthy market (withturnover growing by 30%), the latter -evident as from May - in rapid declineand characterised by an almost verticaldrop in demand.Nevertheless, despite this suddenslowdown, by the end of the yearBerco UK had achieved a turnover of51 million euros, in line with 2007,with a growth in profit over theprevious year. The organisationalstructure grew as well, rising to 25units, and work was done onoptimising internal structures andimproving assembly line productivity(getting up to the rate of 12 trackchains a shift).Great efforts were also put intomaintaining the excellent standards ofservice to the two main customers,with the attainment of the KomatsuUK’s prestigious “Supplier of the Year”award.NEW PREMISESThe most important project of the yearwas undoubtedly the move to newpremises in Spennymoor, near Durham.With the rental contract on theMiddlesbrough building about toexpire, the search began for biggerpremises (about 14,000 m2), bigenough above all to housenew track chain assemblyand complete frame subassemblylines, becausethese are the activities thatBerco UK is banking on toincrease its business in theyears to come.After completing thebureaucratic necessities(contract, permits, etc.),work began at the end of’07 on fitting out thebuilding, with jobs such theinstallation of two bridgecranes and a paint boothand the electricity, gas andcompressed air circuits, etc.This work went on for fivemonths.The office move was done atthe beginning of May, andthe goods and stock movebegan in May and lasted 4-5weeks, with no interruptionin the flow of deliveries tocustomers.On the 18th of July we werefinally able to celebrate therelocation to the newpremises with a Berco UKOpen Day.This began in the morningwith a press conference,followed by an inaugurationceremony and an officialpresentation. Guests werethen shown round thefactory, followed by thecustomary toast.Numerous customers,suppliers, friends and local authoritiestook part in the event, including localMP Helen Goodman, the guest ofhonour.In the afternoon, after the guests hadleft, it was the turn of the employeesand their families, they too having thechance to have a look round Berco UK.FUTURE PROJECTSAlthough the difficult economicsituation and continuous talk of therecession hitting Europe and Americaleave little room for optimism,nevertheless, at the same time,difficult periods are a unique occasionto look for new stimuli, discoveruntapped resources and develop newideas and projects to lay the basis forstrong future growth.Despite the drop in sales, Berco UK hasredoubled its efforts and is working onnumerous projects, both internal (suchas the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS18001 and Investor in People qualitycertification schemes), and external(such as, in particular, thedevelopment of the aftermarket andthe supply of complete frames formobile crushers and screens).The challenges are ambitious, but theenthusiasm and dedication of theBerco UK team are bound to achievesatisfactory results in the near future.Giovanni MichelettoGeneral Manager, Berco UKBN56 > december 20089
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NEWS & EVENTS > Berco at Bauma China for the first ... - Berco S.p.A

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