Big advantages for customers who work closely and early with suppliers

At the IAA, Trelleborg is one of many Swedish companies, exemplifying the ability to work closely and transparently with their customers. The Scandinavian Automotive Supplier Association (FKG) says such cooperation should preferably start early on in the product development stage. This close business relationship often affects the total cost of products to the customer’s advantage.

This business model is well tried at the global company Trelleborg. It means that the product development is done closely and openly, more in the form of a partnership than the customer simply ordering a product based on a specification.

“This model is one of our competitive advantages,” explains Peter Ericson, Sales Manager Transportation at Trelleborg Sealing Profiles. “We often participate in our customers’ early product development work, which means that we can advise them based on our experience and expertise.”

Improvements at an early stage can often influence the total cost to the customer’s benefit. For example, a design change can reduce the cost of tools and may also require less material with retained function.

Trelleborg Sealing Profiles has been very successful supplying sealing solutions to the construction sector for many years. This business experience gradually led to a new focus on the automotive industry. Thanks to good cooperation with its customers, Sealing Profiles relatively quickly gained a foothold and could grow within the segment.

Trelleborg Truck & Diesel is another player within the Trelleborg group, with decades of experience and cooperation with world-leading OEMs within the heavy vehicles segment. Truck & Diesel specialises in customised sealing solutions for trucks, buses, construction, agriculture and maritime uses, and the goal is to accelerate the customer’s business.

Great emphasis is put on research and development.

“We work closely with our customers to find the best solution for them,” explains Peter Åström, Marketing and Sales Manager Truck & Diesel. “They get direct access to our team of engineers and full oversight over the development process. We thereby ensure that the components, tools, production and delivery planning are adapted to our customers’ needs.”

Quite simply, Trelleborg Truck & Diesel ensures that no surprises happen when the customers can least afford them.

Fredrik Sidahl, Managing Director of FKG, says it is this partnership between the customer and the supplier that is one of the factors ensuring the success of the Swedish automotive industry.

Trelleborg Sealing Profiles and Trelleborg Truck & Diesel are two of fifteen companies exhibiting at the Scandinavian stand being organised by FKG at the IAA in Hannover from 24 September to 2 October. 

FKG - Fordonskomponentgruppen

CEO: Fredrik Sidahl
fredrik.sidahl@fkg.se
+46 706 80 59 53 

www.fkg.se

Facts: FKG – Fordonskomponentgruppen

FKG is the Scandinavian automotive supplier association. Member companies range from large, global so-called Tier 1-suppliers and medium-sized engineering companies to small start-ups, often build around innovation. FKG is situated on Gothenburg, Sweden and has 380 member companies.

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