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16-01-2018
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Rompa opens first production site in Germany next to Britax Römer
It is a first for Rompa: in 2018, we will begin the construction of our first production site in Germany. The site will be located directly next to the factory of our customer Britax Römer. With this new site, we emphasise our intention to develop a sustainable and long-term partnership for at least ten years. We expect the first plastic components for car and bicycle seats to roll out of the production site by 2018.
We signed our contract with Britax Römer in November of 2017. “Next, we purchased the land in December,” says Patrick Gerard, Rompa’s CEO. “By next year, we will have built a 4,500 m2 production site equipped with five large machines with a clamping force of 1,200 tons. We will initially employ circa twenty to twenty-five people there.”
Connecting tunnel with a train
The main reason for Rompa to invest in a production site in Germany has to do with reducing transport costs. Patrick: “We manufacture relatively large plastic components for Britax Römer, like the “shell” of a child’s seat. At the moment, we make these products in the Czech Republic and then transport them to Leipheim in Germany. Our new production site will make delivering the products both faster and cheaper. We will build a short connecting tunnel between both production sites. The products are transported via a special train that runs through this tunnel.”
Just in sequence
Rompa will utilise the logistical method known as “just in sequence” at its new production site. Patrick explains what this means: “We deliver the products at the exact right time and in the right order, so they can move straight to Britax Römer’s assembly line. This requires strict planning and close logistical collaboration. Coordinating this process is entirely in the hands of our logistical experts in the Czech Republic. The new site in Germany will make use of Rompa CZ’s specialist expertise in other ways as well.” The new factory will adopt the lean method. “We will focus solely on production here. Supporting services, such as order entry, billing and purchasing raw materials, will be handled from the Czech Republic as much as possible.”
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Rainer Stäbler, Managing Director EMEA at Britax Römer, Patrick Gerard, CEO Rompa Group and Rudi Ghijsens, European Purchase Manager at Britax Römer
