Haldex is a Sweden-based company, operating worldwide with offices in 19 countries. Haldex develops and provides reliable and innovative solutions that improve safety, vehicle dynamics and environmental sustainability in the global commercial vehicle industry. We are one of the world-leading suppliers of brake and suspension solutions, and are developing new technology for electrical and autonomous vehicles.
Global market leader
The product portfolio focuses on brake products and air suspension systems for heavy vehicles. Haldex are market leaders in several product categories, including brake adjusters for drum brakes. Haldex products are rapidly winning market share in other emerging areas, such as as disc brakes, which are recognized for their innovative design. These and other wheel-end components comprise the Foundation Brake product group, while air suspension components, such as ABS, EBS and air dryers, comprise the Air Controls product group.
Haldex in the world
Haldex operates sales, R&D and manufacturing all over the world. Company has offices in 19 countries and production facilities in Sweden, Germany, Hungary, China, India, Brazil, Mexico and the US. More than half of Haldex sales are generated in North America, one-third in Europe and the remaining in Asia and South America.
Product leadership
Every single product that Haldex develops or includes in its customer portfolio shall have the potential to be the market leader in its segment. It should also have an attractive aftermarket offering, to keep the revenue stream continuing for many years.
Becoming a market leader requires innovation and deep insight into the customer’s business. Prioritized areas of value creation are safety, environmental impact, and total cost of ownership. These are areas where product innovation contributes to the customer’s business benefit. Market knowledge is also required so that the product that is created has the potential to attain the critical volumes required to achieve adequate profitability.
With the long lead times that exist in the automotive industry, future technology trends are of great interest. What happens in the automotive industry 10-15 years from now can have direct consequences on how product development looks today.
Product leadership requires focus. Haldex aim to invest resources where they generate the most value by building on the product areas that are successful today. Resources will be focused on projects that can make a difference, rather than being thinly distributed across many projects. Haldex must also ensure that development engineers have the right skills, both to understand and develop the products currently in the market, but also to anticipate and develop products for the future.
Aftermarket expansion
In the aftermarket, the customers’ needs change over the lifetime of their vehicles. During the first few years, parts with high durability are generally in demand. The older a vehicle becomes, the shorter the period it is owned by each owner and the durability of spare parts is not prioritized to the same extent. The goal is to increase revenue from the more profitable aftermarket through a broader offering and use of new technologies such as e-commerce.
Haldex is a supplier of premium products that are attractive to owners who prioritize a high level of quality and service at brand workshops. Haldex’ quality awareness and knowledge can be extended to include products of the same high quality, but with a shorter lifetime. We are working to broaden our product range to be attractive over a longer portion of the vehicle’s lifetime. Acquisitions are high priority as a way of bringing in additional complementary products and several acquisition targets have been discussed without yet having resulted in any completed acquisitions.
An important step in efforts to broaden the product range is the grouping of products under the Premium Line, Value Line and Reman line, which were launched in the spring of 2016. Value line comprises affordable products based on simpler specifications. Reman line offers refurbished products that are accordingly both environmentally friendly and cost less than premium products.
The Grau and Midland brands have been introduced to make it clear to the customer what properties each product represents. As a step in simplifying the offering to aftermarket customers, e-commerce solutions were introduced in Europe and North America during the year. Other digitized offerings are continually evaluated to increase the service further.
Customer focus
The target is to grow faster than the market, but with increased customer satisfaction. It should be easy to do business with Haldex. As a customer, you are greeted by people who understand your business, who want to contribute to your success and build solid and long-lasting relationships. Haldex encourages entrepreneurship, which means being innovative, proactive, and able to identify market potential. By being a fast-moving and flexible organization, Haldex can adapt to customers, providing that extra degree of service that distinguishes Haldex.
With OEM customers, Haldex are building personal and strategic relationships. Joint development projects are conducted with the largest customers, and we work in close proximity to their operations. Aftermarket customers have different needs and require convenient access to a wide range of products. Haldex must therefore apply different strategies and internal tools for different customer groups to facilitate doing business with them for all customers, while Haldex use their own resources in an efficient manner.
Operational excellence
Efficiency, cost awareness, high safety levels, precision and quality are prerequisites for achieving product leadership and customer focus. Effective processes free up time and energy for developing products, building customer relationships, and providing good service. Quality at every stage, from production, supplier procurement and cost monitoring to competence development and recruitment. Continuous efficiency improvements and cost savings are a matter of survival in an industry under price pressure. In other words, operational excellence is a precondition for competitiveness in industry.
Bridge-building culture
The goal is to create a better workplace with high levels of job satisfaction. Over the past few years, Haldex have intensified efforts regarding culture, values and leadership in the workplace. High standards in terms of ethics and morals are essential in developing a better workplace. A sound culture that inspires, challenges and motivates employees has been complemented with five behaviors that is called the 5 Cs, since all of them start with the letter C – Connect (understanding the big picture and network), Communicate (globally and locally), Collaborate (across the company), Coach (help yourself and others) and Create (build opportunities). These behaviors act as a daily reminder to build bridges internally to solve problems, understand the bigger picture and strengthen the sense of community.
The role of Haldex leaders is to create opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential and work toward the Group’s shared objectives. Since 2015, Haldex have introduced a joint framework for how they want to develop and evaluate our managers. The Haldex Bridge Leadership Framework defines the qualities considered to be important for effective leadership: an ability to communicate and understand the business vision, to achieve results, successfully drive improvement processes, develop him/her self and the team, be a global team player and be accountable and take ownership. In the Bridge Leadership Framework, our 5 Cs are even more prominent and there is a strong focus is on building bridges internally and externally.
New technologies also allow different working environments to be created that adapt to employees’ wishes and circumstances. This is even more important in a global environment where cooperation between countries and time zones is necessary.
