Annual Report - Miba

42
In Europe, Miba Bearing Group was awarded a prestigious
distinction. The Head Office in Laakirchen was voted
“Supplier of the Year” by the Finnish Wärtsila Group, one
of the leading manufacturers of high-capacity diesel
motors. Miba Bearing Group is the first supplier outside of
Finland, to whom this award was presented.
In the preceding fiscal year, the decision to develop the
commercial vehicle business from a niche to a core business took off at the Laakirchen
site with the installation of a highly-automated modern production cell for small-scale
bearing types. In the Product Development unit, the development of a new and more costefficient
process for surface coating engine bearings deserves special mention. Investments
in plant and product development give Miba Bearing Group a competitive edge
against its competitors from abroad who are trying to gain a foothold in the European
market.
In the past fiscal year, a new and environment-friendly galvanizing plant was put into
operation at the McConnelsville site. Cost advantages were gained by doing away with
aggressive chemicals and the further treatment of the galvanized products in an ozone
plant. This is the largest individual investment made in the history of the McConnelsville
site.