Strong engineering with regional focus
Offering customers perfectly fitting solutions is a top priority for MANN+HUMMEL. The filtration expert is therefore consequently strengthening the responsibility of the regions. This closeness to the market is clearly visible in America with the new R&D team for filtration products in the area of Heavy Duty and Industrial.
It all began in 1996 with a sales office in Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit. MANN+HUMMEL then used this location to gradually expand its activities in North America. As the number of employees grew, the range of expertise also widened. This development was also enhanced through a number of acquisitions. There are currently approximately 4,500 employees in North America assigned to the areas of R&D, production and sales. There are eight MANN+HUMMEL locations in America at Seattle (Washington), Portage and Bloomfield Hills (Michigan), Raleigh, Gastonia and Fayetteville (North Carolina), Dunlap (Tennessee) and Dillon (South Carolina). The strategic decision for a regional orientation of the business unit Transportation Original Equipment underlines the importance of the individual regions Asia, America and Europe to MANN+HUMMEL and strengthens the focus on customer requirements in specific markets.
An engineering team specialized in Heavy Duty & Industrial products breaks new ground for MANN+HUMMEL in the USA. In the past, there was an existing team in America responsible for the development of passenger car applications. For the Heavy Duty & Industrial division, however, there were only local sales representatives. Product development tasks were managed by colleagues from Germany. The newly formed R&D team for Heavy Duty & Industrial products is familiar with the market requirements, the differences to passenger car applications, and the environment in which the filters find application. This valuable knowledge can now be applied in the development and design of new components. Customer proximity simplifies the transfer of knowledge leading to a better understanding of customer requirements. In addition, there are practical advantages in having experts available at a local level. Processes are easier to manage and we are more efficient by being in the same time zone as our customers.
The new organization now covers the entire product portfolio, from standard components to customer specific products. The team is able to apply the extensive know-how of experienced colleagues at different locations in order to achieve the ambitious growth target with our filtration products in the segment of Heavy Duty & Industrial.
Apart from that, the MANN+HUMMEL technology center in Portage has a fully equipped testing laboratory and an experienced simulation team. This enables MANN+HUMMEL to ensure that all products meet functional, durability, sustainability, performance, acoustic and manufacturing quality requirements. The closeness to the market helps to smoothly introduce products to series production. A dynamic exchange of information with other R&D departments around the world enables the team to use the full range of MANN+HUMMEL filtration and systems expertise. This in turn allows customers to benefit from customized solutions, local contact persons and excellent local support. This means that there is nothing to stand in the way of further growth in the America’s region.
