Bode Group reinforces core rail business as part of Strategy 2024 and realigns European production network

Press release Bode Group

Realignment of production facilities by product segment and engineering expertise strengthened at each facility
New, globally aligned, flexible organisational structure for even greater customer centricity
Overarching investment programme totalling around EUR 20 million until 2024
Production for the new generation BIDS®3 (“Bode Innovative Door System”) to be ramped up at Kassel facility

Kassel, 20 May 2022. Bode, one of the world’s leading suppliers of fail-safe, intelligently networked door systems for trains, buses and commercial vehicles will set the stage for sustainably profitable growth as part of its Strategy 2024. To secure the Bode Group’s future long-term viability, the core rail business, in particular, will be significantly strengthened, and in addition, the production facilities will be realigned by product segments. The multi-year programme comprises targeted investments in production systems and infrastructure totalling around EUR 20 million until 2024, reinforcing the Group’s engineering expertise, expanding its service business, including measures to further digitise and automate processes as well as the establishment of an even more internationally aligned, flexible organisational structure.

“The rail market is international in nature and competition has increased significantly in the last few years”, states Thomas Giebisch, CEO of the Bode Group. “We are therefore setting the stage now strategically to ensure that we can continue to offer our international customers highly innovative products at competitive prices, expand our position as the quality market leader beyond Europe and grow profitably over the long term.”

Company management’s planning envisages the following measures in detail:

Realignment of production facilities by product segments
From 2023, European production facilities will be aligned by product segment. At the same time, product-specific engineering expertise will be strengthened at the relevant production facility. As a result of this close dovetailing of Development and Production, development and production cycles can be shortened both for the Group’s own products and for customer projects, facilitating production at globally competitive costs. Bode customers will benefit as before from outstanding product quality, high customer focus and individual service.

As part of this realignment, the entire business with vehicle door systems for buses will be concentrated within the Bode Group in a centre of excellence at the Bursa facility in Turkey. Bode’s facility in Rawicz, Poland, will in future act as the Group-wide centre of excellence for the Rolling Stock Doors Division. The Kassel facility in Germany will become the lead plant for Bode’s entire business with steps and drives, digitisation initiatives on the basis of Artificial Intelligence and the central location for the service business that will be the subject of considerable further expansion. In Kassel, customers will receive individual, high-quality and fast service for their vehicles.

Internationally aligned organisational structure
Among the organisational measures in the programme, a new organisational structure will be set up in which managers will take on Group-wide responsibility for strategic company functions. A Shared Services Centre will be established focused on Bode’s Rawicz facility in Poland for administrative functions. The removal of duplicate structures and the pooling of production for different product segments in one facility in each case will be associated in planning terms with the discontinuation of around 200 positions in total across Europe over a period of two years.

Comprehensive investment programme
This realignment will be supported by a substantial, cross-facility investment programme in production systems and infrastructure totalling around EUR 20 million until 2024. Further progress is to be made in automating and digitising processes.

“By implementing this comprehensive programme, we are positioning the Bode Group as a viable business for the future and securing our international competitiveness over the long term”, Thomas Giebisch concludes.

Latest product generation of BIDS®3 – production to be ramped up at Kassel facility
Parallel to the implementation of Strategy 2024, mass production of the latest BIDS®3 product generation will be ramped up. The innovative swing & slide door system for rolling stock with intelligent diagnostic technology is extremely robust and reliable as was the preceding generation, but significantly lighter again. The modular structure enables the functional and equipment features of the door drive to be individualised to suit customers’ wishes, e.g. for locks and door leaves. Bode has been setting the bar for the industry for years with its BIDS® door system.

About the Bode Group
Bode – Die Tür is one of the world’s leading suppliers of innovative door and boarding systems and market leader in Europe. The company which belongs to the Schaltbau Holding Group, specialises in the manufacture, maintenance and service of fail-safe, intelligently networked vehicle door systems for rolling stock, buses and commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Kassel and with six further international production and distribution facilities, the Bode Group generated sales of approx. EUR 240 million in 2021 with around 1,400 employees.

www.schaltbau-bode.com

Contact
Jutta Lorberg
Tel. +49-2154-8122-22

Email: jutta.lorberg@schaltbau-bode.com

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