​At the end of last year, Faurecia and HELLA celebrated their 30th anniversary in the Chinese market. In an interview, Dr Marcel Wiedmann and Chuan Ma talk about the history, the present and the joint future.

_{Tuesday 2023-02-14}

Marcel Wiedmann, Chuan Ma, both HELLA and Faurecia have just celebrated their 30th anniversary in China. If you were to draw an interim conclusion, what would it be?

Marcel Wiedmann: I would say: it is a success story that started even a few years earlier from HELLA's point of view. A HELLA delegation had already visited China for the first time ten years earlier. In 1992, we started series production, which was the starting signal for us in the Chinese market.

Chuan Ma: It is indeed a remarkable coincidence that the start of both our activities in China dates back to the same year. Because in 1992, ECIA, one of Faurecia's predecessor companies, entered into a partnership with the local supplier Wuhan Tongda. Looking back today on the past three decades, I can only say that in that time we have become a major player in the Chinese market. And I hope that we can now expand this position even further, side by side with HELLA.

China has undergone a comprehensive transformation. Today, the country is the largest single market in the automotive industry and one of the most important drivers of industry change. How have Faurecia and HELLA kept pace with this process?

Ma: China is an extremely exciting and important market for FORVIA, without a doubt. Firstly, because of its size alone: every third car manufactured worldwide comes off the production line here. Secondly, because many future technologies are being driven forward here. The demand for automation, digitalisation and entertainment in the vehicle is great, even among the younger population. And all of this is being pushed forward here at extreme speed, at China Speed.

Wiedmann: It was all the more important that we successfully established ourselves in the Chinese market and consistently expanded our position. The slogan "In China, for China", which applies to both Faurecia and HELLA, is not just empty words but describes exactly what we do and have done every day. We want and need to be close to the market and to invest locally; you must understand this market well to be truly successful in it.

Nevertheless, the Chinese market has had some dampeners in recent years. First, the Corona pandemic caused lockdowns again and again. Now, many regulations have been loosened, which in some cases resulted in high infection rates and staff absences.

Wiedmann: It’s true, the last few years have not always been easy. In addition to the personal impact of Covid on everyone, we also had to face the resulting supply chain impact with the severe bottleneck for electronic components, shipping delays and raw material increases. However, what we have seen over the last three years is the very high dedication of all the teams, both at HELLA and Faurecia. The teams have fought against the odds and have done their best to keep production going. The teams really went the extra mile, with tremendous personal efforts. They all deserve a lot of thanks and respect.

HELLA and Faurecia have been working closely together under the joint FORVIA umbrella for about a year now. From your point of view, what is the interim status of the cooperation?

Ma: First of all, it is important that we have also achieved close cooperation on a human, personal level. And this despite all the challenges that the Corona pandemic brought with it. For a long time, many things could only take place virtually, and teams were sometimes only able to meet in person to a limited extent. Nevertheless, the motivation to network and work together was great. That was the basis for everything that followed. Because in the end, it's all about three overarching goals: working together, advancing together, winning together. And that is already bearing fruit.

What successes have you been able to achieve?

Wiedmann: Initially, we concentrated primarily on the topics that were defined across the board in Project ONE, for example joint activities in purchasing and logistics. Another important interim result was the successful integration of our business service activities in the areas of finance, purchasing and sales into Faurecia's Global Business Services in Changchun.

Ma: I would add OPM Week, which took place at the Faurecia Clarion Electronics plant in Fengcheng last summer. I was thrilled by the way we jointly scrutinised our processes and found solutions that brought immediate success and were immediately visible. Especially since the next comparable OPM Weeks are already planned and will then also take place in HELLA plants, among others.

Wiedmann: Finally - our joint FORVIA roof. HELLA and Faurecia are both already strong brands with high value content. But together we are even stronger. We have also expressed this to our customers in recent months, for example at various tech shows and customer events. And our customers also see how much we complement each other under the FORVIA umbrella and how great our innovation potential is.

Finally, let's make this aspect a little more concrete. What opportunities do you see for the joint future?

Wiedmann: I see great potential in customer access, for example. Faurecia is a bit stronger than we are in business with important local customers. We can profit from that. On the other hand, we traditionally have good relations with the Chinese business of German car manufacturers, which in turn can benefit Faurecia.

Ma: In addition, we have a unique technology portfolio through the combination of our respective products. What the market will need in the future, we can offer together. Above all, we are technologically strong and can inspire our customers with the latest innovations. This is an aspect that is important not least to Chinese car manufacturers. The combination of HELLA and Faurecia enables FORVIA to focus fully on the megatrends in the automotive industry and to generate significant added value for all stakeholders.

Under the umbrella brand FORVIA, Faurecia and HELLA employ a total of around 28,000 people in China at 95 development, production and administrative locations. About 3,300 of the employees work in research and development.