The cranes are pushing a new building in the green meadows of Saxony. The roar of the work is covered by the squealing tires of cars on the circuit house. Welcome to Porsche, where employees show a big smile when they come to work in a sporty atmosphere crowned by an unabashed success. Never the manufacturer of luxury cars has not worn as well in this crisis year. And it is in its new plant in Leipzig, former GDR, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Porsche owes much of its success.
"We have not felt the crisis, welcomes Siegfried Bülow, owner of the Porsche plant in Leipzig. The premium has never been better. With the crisis, consumers say it's time to break their piggy banks instead of seeing their savings melt! "The manufacturer, whose birthplace is located in Zuffenhausen near Stuttgart, has produced nearly 117,000 vehicles in 2011, an increase of 34% over the previous year. His two best-selling models, the Cayenne (57% products in 2011) and the Panamera (32%), came off the assembly line in Leipzig.
Rationalized production
"Our goal is to sell 200,000 cars in 2018, a good figure for a premium brand, explains Bülow. We are not in the scheme of classical builders who want to sell millions of vehicles. "The Leipzig plant, which produced 90,000 vehicles in 2011, will play a significant role in this success. The Macan, the future 4 × 4 compact entry-level, will be made entirely of 50,000 copies a year in the new wing of the complex under construction starting in late 2013. "It's a real Porsche. We hope the same effect as the Boxter in the sports segment, "exults Bülow, who has already tried Macan and was convinced that young families will gather out the 4 × 4 luxurious and sporty entry level.
Porsche investing 500 million euros in Leipzig and will double its workforce by hiring 1,000 employees by 2013. With nearly 11 billion in revenue and an operating margin of 18 online payday loan lenders.7%, Porsche claims to be the most profitable manufacturer in the world. Recipes for success are in Leipzig. With great flexibility, the hours can be reduced from 200 to 60 hours per month. Production has been streamlined, including through logistics innovations. The plant does not store more than one day of production equipment and time components on the assembly line to reduce storage costs and increase efficiency.
Each team takes 3-6 minutes to do its job, instead of 45 to 90 seconds in a German factory "normal", to ensure premium quality. A computer with each vehicle, which bears the name of his client to instantly detect defects in assembly and avoid costly interventions after assembly. Assembly lines employ only staff ultraqualifié, able to intervene at all stages of car manufacturing. The flow is continuous, in three shifts on a rotating 24 hours on 24.
At the end of the chain, the workers show their glee when they hear the first roar of raucous 430 horsepower V8 with a Panamera GTS. Another cause for celebration: earlier this year, the workers received a bonus of 7,600 euros. For Porsche, there is no question of relocation. "Our customers are willing to pay more for the Made in Germany, said Bülow. In Germany, the environment has tremendous potential, thanks to infrastructure, numerous research and development, the fabric of subcontractors and the quality of the workforce. It is unique in the world. "
The expertise was indeed present in the Leipzig region. Porsche has had the audacity to build on the old Trabant manufacturers of the era of the GDR, to build its cars … winning bet.
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