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The project, part of GM’s Epsilon Project, will require a 30 million euro investment from Batz, to build three production plants in Mexico, the Czech Republic and China, and set in motion a collaboration agreement with a Korean company.

Batz will supply, on an exclusive, worldwide basis, the pedal module and parking brake lever for several General Motors/Opel models, which will be assembled on the Epsilon platform (Vectra), equipping vehicles under the Saab, Opel, Chevrolet, Daewoo and General Motors brands. Batz will therefore reinforce its image as a top level supplier, as it will have a worldwide production capability and a level of innovation and development that has been a determining factor in winning the order.

Batz has patents of its own that that have enabled the company to develop a passive safety system in the pedal module which, in the case of a collision, automatically comes apart preventing any injury to the driver. As far as the brake level is concerned, Batz has another patent for the cable self-tensioning system, which maintains the right tension at all times, with optimum efficiency. To fulfil the order Batz will also need to set up production subsidiaries in Mexico, the Czech Republic and China, as well as a joint venture in Korea.

Batz Mexicana, located in Puebla, in which Batz has a 70% holding, plans to achieve an annual turnover of $25m, with a workforce of 125 people. It will start its activities this year 2007 and will manufacture 508,000 pedal modules and 340,000 brake levers a year, which will all be sent to General Motors factories in the United States. Another 450,000 pedal modules will also be produced in the same plant for other projects.

The Czech subsidiary Batz-Czech, located in Ostrava and in which Batz has a 70% holding, will manufacture 312,000 pedal modules and 114,000 brake levers a year for the Opel/General Motors plants in central Europe. This plant will also produce jacks and brake levers for Volkswagen’s European plants and for the Japanese firm Suzuki in Hungary. Batz-Czech will have a workforce of 90 people and post an annual turnover of around 13 million euros.

In China, the subsidiary Batz-China will be located on the Kunshan industrial estate, close to Shanghai, which the MCC is building and which is scheduled for inauguration in the second half of this year. Batz has already reserved a plot for facilities which, in principle, will come into operation in 2008.

In Korea, Batz has signed a collaboration agreement with a local company, which it will provide with the design and knowhow for the manufacturing of 165,000 pedal modules and handbrake levers a year, which will be supplied to the Daewoo plants, taken over by General Motors.

In 2006 Batz posted a turnover of more than 80 million euros in its twin activities of Diemaking and Automotive Systems, with international sale accounting for 80% of the total. This year the forecasts are for a turnover of 95 million euros, of which 85% will come from sales abroad.
 

http://www.batz.com