• Sales in China exceed one billion euro for the first time in 2017
  • Larger site: strategic investment with the potential for expansion for new fields of business

   Webasto, one of the top 100 automotive suppliers worldwide, has moved into its new, larger plant in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou (Guangdong Province). During the opening ceremony the company announced that it had achieved sales in China which exceeded one billion euro for the first time in 2017. This means that the Webasto Group generated around a third of its sales in China. "The continuous growth in sales over recent years confirms the popularity of our products and our performance in the world's largest automotive market", said Dr. Holger Engelmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Webasto SE, during the opening ceremony in Guangzhou. "Our strong team in China and the excellent work they do there contribute significantly to making Webasto a sought-after partner both for international and domestic customer projects. This safeguards jobs across the company globally", he continued.

   Webasto has been present in Guangzhou since 2006 with a sunroofs production. The previous site was leased. With the move into a completely renovated building (approx. 30,000 m2) on its own site (approx. 65,000 m2) the company is expanding its presence in China once again. Furthermore, the site also offers further potential for additional buildings. The investment in Guangzhou therefore also conforms to the dual "Strengthening & Participating" strategy of Webasto. "Our investment in Guangzhou is a strategic decision. On the one hand we are strengthening our successful sunroofs business unit, while on the other, we will also be able to establish a battery system production facility here in future", explained Engelmann.

Production capacities of up to 1.6 million sunroofs annually
   The new plant is only some 500 meters away from the old one. This means that the move could be completed in stages, thereby ensuring that production continued smoothly. In his opening speech Dr. Engelmann thanked the employees for their high degree of commitment. The number of employees should grow from 500 to over 600.
The demand for large panorama roofs, in particular, is continuously increasing in China. In Guangzhou it will in future be possible to produce up to 1.6 million sunroofs annually. This means that the plant would be one of the largest Webasto plants worldwide. The main customers are joint ventures such as Dongfeng Nissan, FAW-VW and Guangzhou Honda, which also maintain production facilities in this region.

Original publication