Grupo Antolin, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vehicle interiors, achieved sales of €2.6bn in the first six months of 2018. Without the effect of currency fluctuations, sales increased 5%.
Grupo Antolin say they outperformed worldwide automotive industry growth thanks to the performance of existing programs and new projects launched with car manufacturers. Between January and June, they launched 73 new projects, 26% more than in the same period of 2017. Global automotive production grew 3.5% in the second quarter.
So far this year, Grupo Antolin have opened new plants in Michigan, USA, and Shenyang, China, as well as reaching an agreement with Donghuan to establish a joint venture to expand the window regulators business, and production will start in their Alabama (USA) factory this year.
The company do fret that in the second half of the year, uncertainty in some markets—the United Kingdom on account of Brexit and the US as a result of President Trump’s escalating trade war with China —and emerging market currency weakness could negatively affect business performance. The increase in raw materials costs and the price pressure from carmakers is continuing to affect the financial year.
Last August, Grupo Antolin bought Haselbeck, a plastic injection mould maker based in Germany. With this acquisition, Grupo Antolin say they will strengthen their technological leadership with a leading company in the mould sector. Haselbeck have 45 years’ experience supplying high-quality moulds to the plastics processing industry, from the automotive industry to the electronics. The company have a broad and innovative portfolio of products and technological solutions for the design, development and production of moulds. This operation will allow Grupo Antolin to keep investigating the development and manufacture of moulds and reinforcing the R&D+i into their production processes. Haselbeck have more than 100 employees, a production plant in Deggendorf, Germany, and a wide portfolio of clients.
