Bosch reports 24% rise in total net sales in Malaysia

• Has invested over RM260mil in Malaysia over past 3yrs, intends to boost headcount
• Car multimedia plant in Penang now Bosch’s worldwide development centre

GLOBAL technology and services supplier Bosch said that total net sales in Malaysia increased by 24% to RM3.6 billion (€828 million) in Malaysia.
 
This figure includes sales of non-consolidated companies and internal deliveries to other companies.
 
Third-party sales in Malaysia increased by 14% to almost RM552 million (€127 million) in 2014, the company said in a statement.
 
“Malaysia is an important location for Bosch, both as a production base as well as a market for our products and services,” said Bosch Malaysia managing director Simon Song.
 
“In view of the increasing global and local demand, especially in the areas of car infotainment and power tools, we expect to also achieve positive sales development in the coming years,” he added.
 
As of April 2015, Bosch Malaysia employed a workforce of more than 2,500 ‘associates,’ including those from the Bosch Group’s global acquisitions of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH (formerly BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH) and Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH (formerly ZF Lenksysteme GmbH) that were previously joint ventures.
 
Both companies were already present in Malaysia, with a BSH Hausgeräte GmbH sales office in Petaling Jaya and Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH manufacturing arms in Penang.
 
Excluding these acquisitions, the workforce of Bosch Malaysia grew to around 2,200 associates, accounting for 40% of the overall Bosch workforce in South-East Asia.
 
Bosch expects the number of its associates in Malaysia to further increase in the coming years, the company said in its statement, without elaborating.
 
In May 2015, the company signed a strategic partnership with University Malaysia Pahang to offer two scholarships for students in the field of mechatronic and automotive engineering.
 
The partnership also includes workshops on Bosch technologies in the mobility solutions field, mentorship, and internship placements at Bosch’s research and development centres for car multimedia and power tools in Penang.
 
In 2014, the car multimedia plant in Penang was selected as the worldwide development centre, catering to several of the company’s car multimedia product lines.
 
Alongside engineering services, the centre provides navigation and infotainment systems for passenger cars, entertainment systems for trucks and coaches, as well as connected vehicle applications for the global market.
 
Upgrading local Bosch sites
 
“With the appointment of our car multimedia plant in Penang to service its global product lines, Malaysia became an even stronger strategic country within the Bosch Group,” said Song (pic).
 
To further strengthen its presence in Malaysia, Bosch has invested around RM260 million (€60 million) into the country in the past three years, it said.
 
Three out of the six Bosch locations in Malaysia underwent expansions and enhancements in 2014, it added.
 
The corporate office in Petaling Jaya got fitted with enhanced training centres for power tools, vehicle diagnostics, diesel technologies as well as security systems. The power tools plant in Penang moved to a new location, and its car multimedia plant expanded by taking over the previous power tools plant site.
 
These expansions and enhancement will translate to additional research projects, an increase in manufacturing output and quicker service time, Bosch said in a statement.
 
In Asia Pacific, Bosch grew its sales 17% (19% after adjusting for exchange rate effects) in 2014 to €13 billion. In South-East Asia, it reported year-on-year sales growth of around 7% to RM3 billion (€672 million).
 
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