Here you will learn how we are tackling these challenges and what solutions we have already implemented. We see the main topic of sustainability not only as an obligation for future generations, but also as an opportunity to make the companies of the KIRCHHOFF Group even stronger and more economically successful in competition.

We would also like to refer to these contents:

• Ideas become ideals - ENGINIUS is the new brand under which FAUN is putting hydrogen-powered trucks on the road.
• Convincing concept for a highly complex component: KIRCHHOFF Automotive develops new front axle beam
• The new bit from WITTE Tools is held in place simply by placing it on the bolt head
• Mobility without limits - KIRCHHOFF Mobility offers individually adapted vehicle conversions for people with limited mobility, also in e-vehicles

The publisher of K>MOBIL, Arndt G. Kirchhoff, and the entire editorial team wish you an enjoyable read and a relaxing summer. Stay healthy!

There are three categories: capital and tooling, bought in parts, and raw materials. German mechanical engineering company ARKU, Polish company GRUPA KETY, and Korean steel group POSCO won “best supplier” in each category respectively.

"Particularly in these difficult times, we were able to rely fully on the suppliers who received awards today," said Klaus Lawory, vice president of procurement, praising the effective cooperation between companies. Award selection was determined upon outstanding quality and high delivery reliability, as well as a high degree of further development and technological progress.

The association's work focuses on reviewing and further developing the sustainability of companies’ supply chains by means of on-site assessments and corresponding tracking. With the program developed specifically for this purpose, the effort, costs, and ultimately the results can be shared, thus avoiding multiple audits. The program promotes supplier development and contributes to the further development and continuous improvement of sustainability.  The aim of the association is to support all players in the automotive sector by establishing a high level of sustainability in supply chains.

"We are delighted that our initiative has been awarded the German Sustainability Award and would especially like to thank all the founding members involved for the good work they have done in setting it up. RSCI will continue to develop, grow, and become an increasingly important tool for corporate due diligence within the automotive industry in the future," said Frank Rehder, RSCI's CEO.

"Companies have a responsibility to the environment and people all over the world. To ensure more environmental protection, occupational safety, and to promote sustainability, RSCI e.V. is of central importance. We are sure that the association will soon be able to look forward to many more members," says VDA Managing Director Andreas Rade.

The "German Award for Sustainability Projects 2022" in the "Supply Chain" category is presented by the news channel ntv, the DUP UNTERNEHMER magazine, and the German Institute for Service Quality.

The picture shows the founding members of RSCI 2021.

Info: Founding members of the association RSCI e.V.:

• AUDI AG
• Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW Group)
• Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. KG
• CLEPA AISBL
• Business Network for Corporate Responsibility AISBL
• Daimler AG
• Dr. Ing. h.c. Porsche AG
• Ford-Werke GmbH
• KIRCHHOFF Automotive GmbH
• Magna International (Germany) GmbH
• MAN Truck & Bus SE
• Robert Bosch GmbH
• Schaeffler AG
• Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V.
• Volkswagen AG

In the online recertification with 22 test points, the trainers made the strong training at the Attendorn plant transparent. The trainees were also surveyed. Overall, the plant completed the re-certification with an A grade (over 86%).

"In today's world, it has become much harder to find young people for in-person training in our areas. Here, the Training South Westphalia quality seal is a good way to stand out from other companies; we draw attention to ourselves as a company with excellent training and training standards," says Martin Kleine, technical trainer.

The German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK) has awarded the Esztergom plant (Hungary) the title of "Reliable Employer". This is awarded to companies that provide exemplary care for the working and living conditions of their employees. We have once again proven that our employees are the heart of our company. We are proud of this honor and hope that all our colleagues share our joy!

Since April, the epidemic situation in Shenyang began to ease. Thanks to everyone's continuous efforts, our plant in Shenyang has finally passed strict government approval and is able to continue providing services to our customers.

At 2pm on April 6, our colleagues returned to the plant and prepared for the fully closed production operation that was to follow. The closed production operation means that employees can only commute between the plant and a quarantine hotel, or just live in the plant altogether. Our colleagues returned to the plant with the necessary living supplies, including clean clothes, hygiene products, and battery chargers, and the company prepared toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, and other necessary living supplies for them in advance.

The team can only return home when the controls are completely lifted – there is no definitive date for it yet.

During the closed operation, the Shenyang plant will refuse all visits and unauthorized outings, and will arrange production schedules according to demand. All staff are also required to take daily nucleic acid tests and implement all protective measures (such as wearing masks all the time, washing hands frequently, regular ventilation, keeping a safe distance, and disinfection). Additionally, no big event is allowed and the number of participants in meetings is strictly controlled.

"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our employees, suppliers, and families for their support in resuming production at the Shenyang plant during this very difficult time. We are grateful for the support and understanding of our employees' families, who have given up the opportunity to spend time with their families in order to help us, and we will do our best to ensure their health and safety. We believe that the difficult time will not last long and we hope that with everyone’s joint efforts, we will soon be able to return to normal work and life”, says Plant Manager Jimmy Gu.

"What Silicon Valley is for digitalization, Circular Valley is for the circular economy. The goal is to develop concepts for emission control and waste avoidance and recycling," explains Christoph Wagener, Vice President, Research and Product Development, at KIRCHHOFF Automotive.

The program itself runs from June to September. In it, innovative startups from all over the world work together and take part in customized expert workshops and training modules. The focus is also on individual support from numerous coaches, and access to a network of over 70 partners from business and science - including KIRCHHOFF Automotive.

"In today's world, the circular economy with the goal of conserving natural resources is becoming more and more important. The goal for Germany as a high-tech location must be to take a leading position in this. Circular Valley can play a significant role in bringing together the know-how of startups, science and industry to create circular economy technologies," says Prof. Christoph Wagener.

For more information, visit https://circular-valley.org/tender_batch3.

The topic of digital learning is a long-term, strategically oriented topic at KIRCHHOFF Automotive. In an e-learning project, together with 17 Functional Leads and more than 150 authors the company has already been able to make more than 1,000 pieces of learning content available. And they are nowhere near the end of the project.

In the webinar, the global HR development department clarified how they dealt with challenges and what recommendations they give to other organizations to drive digital learning forward.

Lisa Kitterer, Global Director Employee Development, also reported that the backing of senior managers was always particularly important for the implementation of the project. She emphasized the value structure of a family-run company in which the further development of employees always has a special role.

Curious? Then watch the webinar here.

Recognized worldwide as a leader in providing stamped parts such as welded assemblies, cross car beams, bumper systems, and further metal and hybrid structures, our company is at the center of the evolutionary swirl encapsulating this rapidly evolving market. In doing so, we have tuned our senses to react to new challenges every day, such as electrification, light weighting, new steel and aluminum grades, reduced lot sizes, shortened lead times and, of course, workforce and supply-chain hiccups.

"We’re heavily invested in training our workforce and providing them with state-of-the-art stamping and welding technology," says Joshua Forquer, Executive Vice President of Sales and Technical Development at KIRCHHOFF Automotive in Troy, USA. He adds that this clears the path to continued success.

Joshua Forquer eyes servo-press technology as providing a sizable competitive advantage for the North American plants, particularly for forming advanced high-strength steels. The plant in Tecumseh, USA alone has 14 presses with press forces of 250 to 1,650 metric tons. Six of these have been newly commissioned since 2017. But it is not only technology that is important, but also employee job satisfaction. "We're committed to building trust and stronger relationships between management and the workers on the floor," adds Forquer, "which we believe will come with our growing commitment to training and investing in our employees." One key to this is the recent investment in a series of online training modules.

Employee development is also of central importance in the welding sector. Missy Smith, Plant Manager in Lansing, USA, works closely with union leadership on workforce development initiatives. For example, as a member of a committee, she has developed a training program together with the Michigan Department of Labor and Lansing Community College.

In order to exchange best practices worldwide, there is the global KIRCHHOFF Automotive best-practices database called GoBench. "We use this for cross-facility benchmarking – any competitive advantage or process development reside in this global database. These process enhancements then become available to anyone on our engineering team anywhere in the world. And, if our management team labels a process enhancement as a global standard, every facility must budget to implement that process to improve their performance," explains Joshua Forquer.

Read the full article in MetalForming magazine here.

Info: MetalForming Magazine

MetalForming is a monthly magazine with a circulation of over 53,000 copies, aimed at engineers, technicians, managers, designers and others working in facilities that add value to sheet metal. Readers are involved, for example, in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, automotive stampings, electric and electronic equipment, appliances and other similar products. MetalForming aims to provide them with tools they need to do their job better.

Source: www.metalformingmagazine.com/about-us/

Our colleague Ben Buck participated very successfully in such a program – today he leads the Honda Accord team in the plant and has been clean for almost seven years.

The story of Ben Buck sounds like a Hollywood drama with a happy ending. But, it really happened. It encourages others to make a fresh start. Ben participated in the Transitions Work Experience Program in Scioto County, Ohio. There is a similar program in Pike County, where our Waverly facility is also involved.

Poor decisions early in life sent Ben to prison for seven years, followed by homelessness and turning back to drug addiction. After a near fatal overdose, his kids became the reason Ben sought treatment and a fresh start. "I was living in the back of a Jeep Cherokee, filling out thousands of employment applications. I always answered truthfully when asked if I had ever been convicted of a felony," Ben said, even though he knew that it was likely the reason he would not be hired. He had quickly lost faith in the community, industry, and apparent programs that seem to offer support.

But Ben didn't give up. "In 2017, I came to KIRCHHOFF Automotive in Waverly as a temp. I was excited to be working a really decent job. I worked harder than anyone else. I was always honest with my supervisor and team lead. He was understanding and did not hold my past against me." Ben was then able to participate in the Transitions Work Experience Program, which is designed to help people transition out of drug addiction. "I was quickly offered a full-time position, and several years ago I was given the opportunity to step up and begin leading others." Today, Ben Buck leads the Honda Accord team in Waverly; they produce the cross car beam for this vehicle on a complex assembly cell.

In the past five years, Ben has lost over ten friends and relatives to drug addiction. "It tears your life apart. I feel very fortunate to have overcome this, and it has left me with a very strong belief that recovery and employment go hand-in-hand." He celebrated his birthday on January 13, which marks 82 months of being clean.

"We are so thankful for Ben and his passion and commitment, not only to the Waverly plant, but also to those coming from similar backgrounds," said Plant Manager Mel Fultz. "We remain committed and engaged to do as much as we can to help our community combat this plague."

Ben Buck is also grateful to our company and for participating in the Transitions Work Experience Program. "Tomorrow I could start working at another company in Waverly. But that company didn't save my life."

Further Information: Transitions Work Experience Program

The program in the Pike County region of Ohio, USA has been in place since 2019. It is designed to help those affected by substance abuse transition out of addiction and reorganize their work lives. Adult employees with technical work experience can acquire basic skills and learn professional etiquette in the form of internships. In May 2020, we established an internship site in Waverly for the program. A total of eleven interns participated last year. More than half of them were offered full-time employment and more than a third will continue to work full-time at our plant.