FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, reported consolidated sales of $10.4 billion U.S. dollars (7.8 billion euros) in North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico) in 2013 – an increase of seven percent above the previous year*. This result marks the fourth consecutive year-over-year sales growth for the region, following strong double-digit growth in 2012. Consolidated figures include effects resulting from changed accounting policies in the prior year.
Despite modest economic development in 2013, all Bosch business sectors contributed to the regional result. Strong sales of $7.3 billion in the company’s Automotive Technology sector - the largest business sector in the region - boosted sales in the region. The Industrial Technology sector achieved sales of $1.4 billion. Steady sales growth of $1.2 billion was generated in the Consumer Goods sector, while the Energy and Building Technology sector realized 2013 sales of $0.5 billion.
Combined Bosch sales in the Americas (North and South America) reached $12.6 billion, or 21 percent of Bosch’s global sales.
According to Mike Mansuetti, president of Robert Bosch LLC: “The North American team’s solid performance in 2013, particularly in the Automotive Technology sector, illustrates the competitiveness of our ‘Invented for Life’ technologies and services. We aim to strengthen Bosch’s position in the world’s largest economy. With solid GDP development and our steadfast focus on innovation and operational excellence, we expect the North American region to yield even higher growth in 2014 compared to the prior year.”
Robust headcount development in 2013
As of Jan. 1, 2014, the company’s North American workforce totaled more than 24,600, an increase of seven percent. The increase results from a full-year effect of acquired businesses (integration of Service Solutions business of SPX Corporation) coupled with a significant 22 percent increase in the number of associates in Mexico.
“Our dedicated associates helped keep fixed costs in line, not only delivering a positive contribution to the company’s performance, but also making North America - in terms of sales per associate - the most productive region within Bosch,” said Mansuetti.
Automotive Technology remains mainstay
In North America, Bosch’s Automotive Technology sector registered $7.3 billion in sales in 2013, accounting for more than 70 percent of Bosch’s sales in the region. Bosch remains a leading provider of technologies and services that increase fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and improve vehicle safety, comfort and connectivity.
Gasoline direct injection systems continue to grow, as the technology’s share among newly produced vehicles in the region will soon reach 50 percent. With 37 clean diesel-powered vehicles available in the U.S., including the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Cruze, market penetration of clean diesel vehicles is poised to reach 10 percent within the next years. Driver assistance systems will foster significant growth for Bosch. March 2014 marks the 100-year anniversary since the company’s initial production of starter motors, which began in Plainsfield, N.J. This expertise lives on in today‘s start-stop systems, which achieve up to 10 percent fuel economy (New European Driving Cycle). Bosch Service Network expanded to 2,100 locations in the region in 2013. Mobility is becoming electric, automated and connected. As automated driving will develop gradually in the next decade, Bosch is piloting vehicles on public roads in the U.S. and Germany. The company sees significant potential in vehicle connectivity. One example is mySPIN, a system that integrates iPhone® and Android smartphones fully into the car. Thanks to MySPIN, the phone's display appears on the vehicle's main display, which makes using apps in the vehicle much easier, safer, and more convenient. With the company’s Actron-branded U-Scan product, vehicle diagnostics is made easy using one’s smartphone. In 2014, Bosch is launching the eBike provided by Currie Technologies (Haibike & Lapierre brands) and Felt.
Unique provider of eco-friendly, innovative solutions
Over $3 billion in sales were achieved in Bosch’s Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods and Energy and Building Technology sectors in the region, driven largely by the company’s commitment to sustainable solutions. 2014 marks 20 years of Buderus-branded boilers, radiators and solar thermal collector products in the U.S. market. Bosch Thermotechnology’s geothermal heat pumps are installed in the Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, the nation’s largest net-zero school. Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group (BSH) received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award, recognizing its continued leadership in energy efficiency. Bosch signed an agreement with Enel Green Power to supply the majority of Bosch plants in the Mexican Republic with renewable electric energy from wind generators. The new Dremel 4200 high-performance rotary tool, with first-ever Easy Change feature, allows the user to change accessories quickly without a wrench. 110 new Bosch video surveillance and intrusion detection products were introduced in the market last year. The company’s Electro-Voice branded pro-sound can be heard in outstanding venues such as the renowned First Avenue in Minneapolis and MTS Centre, home of the Winnipeg Jets.
Mexico and Canada propel regional growth
Mexico, with 10,650 associates, remains a vital part of Bosch’s manufacturing strategy in North America. With all four business sectors now represented in the country, including the packaging technology division as of January 2013, Bosch sales in Mexico totaled $934 million in 2013. Solid GDP development in 2013 helped the company achieve $536 million in sales in Canada, with 500 associates.
Investments in the region’s future
In 2013, Bosch North American investments totaled $317 million, following a six-year high level of investment in 2012. In 2013, the company completed its investment in a new production line for common rail injector nozzles in Charleston, S.C., started production of clean diesel emission systems at its expanded Kentwood, Mich. facility and high efficiency, brushless DC-motors for engine cooling in Toluca, Mexico. Between 2013 and 2020, Bosch is investing more than $460 million in new production lines in its Juarez and Toluca plants, enabling the company to meet growing demand for high-tech automotive products in North and South America.
Robust investments have been made in the company’s Industrial Technology sector. In 2013, Bosch Rexroth opened its sixth service center in Houston, Texas, which provides application, service and repair support to local marine, offshore and industrial applications. Expansion of Bosch Packaging Technology‘s state-of-the-art vertical form fill seal (VFFS) test facility in New Richmond, Wis. was completed in 2013.
“Bosch is continuously investing considerable resources in the region,” said Werner Struth, chairman of Robert Bosch LLC and member of the Bosch board of management responsible for the Americas. “Over the past 10 years, the company has invested nearly $5 billion in the Americas. This investment will help the company achieve its plan to double sales in North and South America in the upcoming years. We consider the Americas, in particular North America, as a reliable pillar in terms of growth and innovation.”
Local research and development activity boosts innovative strength
In 2013, the company’s global research and development expenditure grew to $6 billion, approximately 10 percent of sales. Globally, about 42,700 Bosch associates work in research and development – with 2,100 located in North America. Bosch’s researchers and developers applied for nearly 5,000 patents in 2013, or 20 patents per working day. Nearly half of the company’s global R&D expenditure was devoted to technologies and products that protect the environment, save energy and conserve resources.
In Guadalajara, Jalisco’s Creative Digital City, the company is opening a new Engineering and Business Solutions Development Center, providing high-tech engineering shared services to customers and Bosch sites in the region. To date, Bosch’s Research and Technology Center North America has activated over $3 million in funds, 70 internships and 14 research projects at top U.S. universities to accelerate energy research through its Bosch Energy Research Network (BERN) program – an eight year, $10 million project.
STEM and sustainability focus in local communities
The Bosch Community Fund (BCF), a U.S.-based foundation established in September 2011, awards up to $3 million annually in grants to various 501(c)(3) organizations and educational institutions, with a focus on enriching Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and environmental sustainability initiatives. In 2013, the BCF awarded grants to schools and organizations in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Albion, Ind., Detroit, East Lansing and Farmington Hills, Mich., Charlotte, N.C., Anderson and Fountain Inn, S.C., as well as New Richmond and Shell Lake, Wis. The company’s facilities in Anderson, S.C., Albion, Ind., Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Novi and Flat Rock, Mich. received awards for environmental stewardship in 2013, further illustrating the company’s commitment to sustainability.
Bosch Group 2013 business development and 2014 outlook
With a focus on agility, profitability and growth, in 2013, the Bosch Group global sales grew 3 percent (in euros) to $61.2 billion. Pre-tax profit totaled $3.65 billion. Automotive Technology, the largest business sector, increased its sales by nearly seven percent to $41 billion, while sales of the Industrial Technology business sector declined to $9 billion. The Energy and Building Technology business sector generated sales of $6 billion, a four percent increase, while sales in the Consumer Goods business sector grew more than $5 billion, which represents a slight decrease of nearly one percent. Bosch Group headcount worldwide rose by three percent to 281,000. In 2013, Bosch invested $3.4 billion in capital expenditure globally, 11 percent ($380 million) of which was invested in the Americas.
Bosch expects global sales to grow between 3 and 5 percent in 2014 worldwide. Internet-enabled products and internet-based services are one of the focal points of the company's future business. With its hardware know-how and broad technological expertise, the supplier of technology and services is well prepared to move in this direction. “Bosch’s traditional strengths – our innovative strength, high standard of quality, global presence, and the integrative force of our corporate culture – are also valuable in the connected world,” said Dr. Volkmar Denner, the Bosch CEO, at the company’s recent annual press conference in Germany. Moreover, Bosch is a global market leader in the area of micromechanical sensors (MEMS), a key technology when it comes to networking things on the internet. Sensors enable a new form of technical assistance in day-to-day life – in automated driving, for example, or the smart home. Bosch’s strategic objective is to create connected solutions for mobility, manufacturing, energy systems and buildings.
About Bosch:
In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket solutions, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, healthcare telemedicine and software solutions. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs 24,600 associates in more than 100 locations, with consolidated sales of $10.4 billion in 2013. For more information, visit www.boschusa.com, www.bosch.com.mx and www.bosch.ca.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In 2013, its roughly 281,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros ($61.2 billion). Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2013, Bosch invested some 4.5 billion euros ($6.0 billion) in research and development and applied for some 5,000 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.” Additional information on the global organization is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, and http://twitter.com/BoschPresse.
*Due to a change in accounting policies, 2013 figures can only be compared to a limited extent with 2012 figures. The decision to forego the application of proportionate consolidation affects mainly BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH and ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (2013 consolidated sales volume of some $9.7 billion). Exchange rate: 1 EUR = $1.32812.
