ZF Sales Increase by 7 Percent in 2005

ZF Sales Increase by 7 Percent in 2005

Investments in new products pay off

2005/12/15 -- Friedrichshafen/Stuttgart. Automotive industry supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG achieves a 7-percent increase in 2005 revenues to €10.7 billion. ZF divisions managed to increase sales thanks to the success of innovative driveline and chassis technology products and positive developments in the markets for commercial vehicles and construction machinery.

Speaking at the press conference in Stuttgart on December 15, ZF CEO Siegfried Goll said, "ZF outperformed the market again this year. We managed to strengthen our international position, particularly in our core business segments: driveline and chassis technology for passenger cars and commercial vehicles." ZF also gained from the European commercial vehicle industry's export success and new product launches including the recently completed series of automatic transmission systems.

ZF innovations launched on the market over the past year clearly paid off for the company. Some 885,000 6-speed automatic transmissions were sold to vehicle manufacturers in 2005. Production figures for the electronic steering system introduced in 2002 for the Volkswagen Golf and Passat platforms reach 1.35 million units this year. ZF also manufactured 1.2 million axle systems for passenger cars in 2005.

A number of ZF innovations were introduced at the IAA in September. In the area of driving dynamics and safety, ZF demonstrated the advantages of electronically controlled driveline and chassis systems featured in the concept car developed in cooperation with Karmann. In the field of hybrid technology, ZF presented solutions ranging from components and modules, to complete systems. The company's strategic partnership with Continental combines the expertise of both companies required to offer a comprehensive range of products. ZF also previewed the new 7-speed dual clutch transmission currently being engineered for sports vehicles.

ZF continued to move forward with its internationalization strategy this year by opening four companies in China and launching new operations in Russia, the USA, and Australia. Holding companies in North America, South America, and the Asia Pacific region are redefining the company's market presence. The ZF Technical Center in Detroit was further expanded and now includes ZF Sachs engineering operations. A new Technical Center is currently under construction in Shanghai.

ZF division sales

Sales of the ZF Car Driveline Technology Division increased by 9 percent in 2005. A growth of 14 percent was reported by the Car Chassis Technology Division with an increase to €2 billion. The Commercial Vehicle and Special Driveline Technology Division managed to increase sales by 9 percent. Off-Road Driveline Technology and Axle Systems Division sales increased by 11 percent while revenues from the Powertrain and Suspension Components Division remained on the level of the previous year.

ZF Lenksysteme (Steering Systems) boosted sales in 2005 by 8 percent.

The number of ZF employees is slightly lower in 2005 in comparison to 2004 due to restructuring effects. ZF employs worldwide 54,500 persons. This includes 33,340 employees in Germany (61 percent of the total ZF workforce) and remains at last year's level.

Outlook 2006

For 2006, the ZF Group anticipates moderate growth at best. This estimate is based on the restrained developments forecast for European and North American sales markets. ZF expects worldwide production in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle market to increase moderately by around 2 percent. This growth will primarily be seen in Asian countries including Korea, China, and India. In the commercial vehicles segment (over 6 tons), ZF expects to see the market stabilize at the currently high level.

ZF is one of the world's leading automotive industry suppliers specializing in driveline and chassis technology. With around 54,500 employees, the company operates 125 plants located in 26 countries. ZF is Germany's third largest automotive industry supplier and ranks among the 15 largest suppliers worldwide.

Source: ZF‹ previous  •  7943 of 12796  •  next ›