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Composites producer Gurit undertakes three key initiatives

16 Feb '15

2 min read

Switzerland based advanced composites producer, Gurit said it is undertaking three key initiatives to shape the future of its composite components business.

Under the organisational initiative, Gurit is merging its Engineered Structures and Automotive division to form the new Composite Components business unit.

This new business division will focus on land transportation component applications in the premium automotive, bus and rail markets.

From a sales reporting perspective, Gurit will subdivide its business into Composite Materials, Composite Components and Tooling.

From a strategic perspective, Gurit will transform the automotive section of its Newport facility in the mid-term into a technology center with product development, prototyping and production of smaller volume specialty manufactured components.

“The Hungarian site is projected to be more of a volume manufacturing site for pressed and manual components with a higher degree of automated production lines and technologies,” Gurit said.

“To achieve this industrialisation level in Hungary, Gurit is launching an almost CHF 6 million investment program during 2015 at the company`s existing production facility in Hungary.

The investment is aimed at supporting the setup of substantially automated production lines for automotive components as a manufacturing base for the latest project as well as future projects in Europe.

With regards to personnel, Gurit plans to reduce headcount at its facility in Newport, Isle of Wight, UK.

The proposed reduction of 80–90 staff during March to April 2015, results from closure of a customer project and the associated lower workload for manually manufactured automotive parts.

According to Gurit, start of a recently announced new automotive project will only commence in fourth quarter of 2015.

Gurit estimates that restructuring cost for the socially acceptable downsizing and associated measures will amount to approximately £300,000.

Gurit specialiases in development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, related technologies and select finished parts and components.

The comprehensive product range comprises fibre reinforced prepregs, structural core products (man-made materials and balsa wood), gel coats, adhesives, resins and consumables.

Gurit supplies global growth markets with composite materials on the one hand and composite tooling equipment, structural engineering and select finished parts on the other.

The group has production sites and offices in Switzerland, Germany, Hungary Italy, Spain, UK, Canada, USA, Brazil, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand, India and China. (AR)

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