NORMA Group has put a fifth plant into operation in China. The site is located in Guangzhou in the Guangdong province in southern China, strategically positioned near Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of electric vehicles. At the new plant, NORMA Group manufactures and assembles thermal management systems for battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid cars (PHEV).
“China is the largest manufacturer of newenergy vehicles in the world. More than one third all battery-electric and hybrid vehicles come from production sites in China, either by national OEMs or by joint ventures,” says NORMA Group’s CEO Dr. Michael Schneider. “With the new plant in Guangzhou, we are further expanding our market position through a targeted investment according to our localization strategy. By offering our products and services where the demand is, we can provide efficient logistics, improved shipment costs and engineering services close to the customer.”
Currently, the plant is serving customer orders for fluid transport systems that have already been booked. Series production for other regional customers are being prepared.
On the occasion of the opening of the new site, China Country Leader Michael Eisner, who is responsible for NORMA Group’s business activities in China, said: “We already see and expect further increase in demand for advanced joining technology for electric vehicles. With our significantly expanded production capacities in China, we are well-positioned to serve the Chinese customers as they continue to drive the technological transformation of the transport sector.”
The new facilities on the premises of the Datang Auto Technology Park have a total space of 2,500 square meters and an initial annual production volume of around two million parts. In further expansion states, NORMA Group plans to increase the capacity to five million parts. Around 65 employees currently work at the Guangzhou plant; the number is expected to rise to over 100 by the end of the year.
The site is a branch of NORMA Group’s plant in Qingdao in eastern China (Shandong province) which is in operation since 2008 and currently running at full capacity. NORMA Group operates five plants in China, two for metal joining solutions such as clamps and clips, and three plants for plastic solutions such as quick connectors, tubes and complete fluid systems.
In 2021, NORMA Group generated EUR 173 million in sales in the Asia-Pacific region, which amounts to 16 percent of Group turnover. The Chinese automotive market is a strategic market for NORMA Group on the region, together with the market for water managements products in India, Malaysia and Australia, the automotive market in India as well as the market for industry applications in various countries.