NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:07 Página 1

GRUPO ANTOLIN around the world

SPAIN INDIA Grupo Antolin (Headquarters) Grupo Antolin - Chennai Grupo Antolin – Alava Grupo Antolin - Pune Grupo Antolin – Ara Grupo Antolin - Pune (Design Center) Grupo Antolin – Aragusa Krishna Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin – Ardasa Grupo Antolin – Autotrim IRAN Grupo Antolin – Dapsa (Technological Licence Agreement) Grupo Antolin – Eurotrim JAPAN Grupo Antolin – Ingeniería Grupo Antolin - Japan (TCO) Grupo Antolin – Linara Grupo Antolin – Magnesio MEXICO Grupo Antolin – Martorell Grupo Antolin - Saltillo Grupo Antolin – Navarra Grupo Antolin - Silao Grupo Antolin – Palencia International Door Systems Grupo Antolin – PGA Mexican Door Company Grupo Antolin – Plasbur MOROCCO Grupo Antolin – RyA Antolin - Tanger Grupo Antolin – Vigo POLAND ARGENTINA Silesia Plastic IRAUTO PORTUGAL BRAZIL Grupo Antolin - Lusitânia Antolin - Sudamerica (TCO) Intertrim RUSSIA Iramec Grupo Antolin - St Petersburg (TCO) Trimtec SLOVAKIA CHINA Grupo Antolin - Bratislava Grupo Antolin - Shanghai (TCO) Slovakian Door Company Antolin Shanghai Autoparts ChongQing Antolin Toupu Overhead Systems SOUTH AFRICA Grupo Antolin Guangzhou Grupo Antolin - South Africa Ningbo Antolin Huaxiang Auto Parts SOUTH KOREA CZECH REPUBLIC Grupo Antolin - Korea (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Bohemia Dong Won Tech Grupo Antolin - Ostrava THAILAND Grupo Antolin - Turnov (Technological Licence Agreement) FRANCE TURKEY Grupo Antolin - France (TCO) Ototrim Grupo Antolin - HFR Grupo Antolin - IGA UNITED KINGDOM Grupo Antolin - Ingénierie Siegès Grupo Antolin - UK (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Jarny Grupo Antolin - Kent Grupo Antolin - Logistique Douai Grupo Antolin - Leamington Grupo Antolin - Loire UNITED STATES Grupo Antolin - Transport Grupo Antolin - North America (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Vosges Grupo Antolin - Fairfax TANIS Grupo Antolin - Illinois GERMANY Grupo Antolin - Kentucky Grupo Antolin - Deutschland (TCO) Grupo Antolin - Louisiana Grupo Antolin - Autoform Grupo Antolin - Michigan Grupo Antolin - Logistik Deutschland Grupo Antolin - Wayne

(TCO). Technical Commercial Office NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:07 Página 1 News GRUPO ANTOLIN Spring 2008 · No. 52 ANNUAL Convention Recognition Ceremony

Corporate Social Responsibility

Group Plants Grupo Antolin ARA

Emotional DESIGN NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 2

NEWS is published by Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolin is a multinational at the cutting edge of design and production of components for car interiors for the automobile industry. Present in 22 countries with 86 plants and 20 technical commercial offices and it has a workforce of more than 10,500 employees. This publication is available for the employees in pdf format in the GA's intranet

EDITORIAL OFFICE Grupo Antolin EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Margarita Díaz PRINTED BY COIMAN Marketing Department · [email protected] C/ Marqués de Portugalete, 16 Carretera Madrid-Irún, km. 244,8 E 28027 MADRID - SPAIN E 09007 BURGOS - SPAIN DESIGN Germán Delgado Tel. 34 91 742 12 03 Tel. 34 947 47 77 00 · [email protected] Fax: 34 91 742 67 81 Fax: 34 947 48 43 63 www.grupoantolin.com PHOTOGRAPHY Rafa Sáiz D. Legal: M-18594-2006

DOES Territory Europe - South America DOAAP 7,301 employees* Territory Africa - Asia - Pacific DONA 1,483 employees* Territory North America 1,792 employees*

* Nr of employees by territory as per 31st of January 2008 contents

page 4 cover story page 16 special Annual Convention and Recognition Ceremony Corporate Social Responsibility The 2007 figures have improved significantly with respect to those for 2006 and their The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility absolute values constitute a historic record has become a new element of companies’ both in terms of sales and in results business strategy page 23 in brief News in brief page 10 interview page 18 special Conversation with the New tax regulation of page 32 the history corner associated companies President Barreiros

page 12 plants page 20 the photo Grupo Antolin-ARA Solar Park The Delegation from Iberdrola in Castilla y ARA is the oldest of Grupo Antolin’s plants. León inaugurated Grupo Antolin’s solar park Originally, it was a store and upholstery shop at the headquarters on 12th December 2007

page 22 clients Barreiros automotive group represents an ex- ceptional case in the Spanish car industry GA to supply Daimler Trucks in Brazil page 35 For the first time in its history, Grupo Antolin health will supply window regulators for trucks of the “The senses” HEARING Daimler Group We continue with the hearing, our series of articles relative to the senses of our body

page 14 designing the future page 37 en route Emotional Design Puebla (Mexico) The purpose of emotional design is to modify or Legend says that Puebla or Angelopolis was create products that are capable of generating created by the angels. It was founded in 1531 emotions in the users by the Spanish

News Grupo Antolin 2 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 3

Editorial

Grupo Antolin began its commit- ment to the environment and social Ernesto Antolin Arribas responsibility in 2004 as a founding Vice-president of Grupo Antolin member of the United Nations in first person Global Compact, by adhering to the ten Principles for behaviour and action with respect to human rights, labour standards, the environment, and the fight against corruption. In 2007 the Group renewed its com- he internationalization of our Group is an irrefutable fact, a reflection mitment to supporting these Prin- of what is happening in the global economy: 22 countries, 86 plants ciples again with its second Progress and 20 technical-commercial offices form the industrial and commer- Report. T cial fabric of Grupo Antolin. Our presence in a number of territories gives us Since 2002 there has been a plan in a strong competitive edge in facing global projects, but it also demands a place aimed at reducing the use of great deal of effort in the amount of coordination and communication re- gas and electricity in the headquar- quired of us all. Our clients generate more and more ambitious projects, with ters. This resulted in more than a shorter gestation periods, developments in various different regions, and in- 35% reduction up to the year 2007. dustrialization in many countries. This implies a change in the way we ap- proach our clients and it requires additional effort in teamwork among the On 12th December 2007 the solar different territories that form part of our organization. panels on the central office were of- ficially inaugurated, with such pan- Diversity of clients has also become one of our hallmarks. The portfolio of els generating over 20% of our en- clients of the Group has become more balanced and has extended over the ergy consumption. The scope of this last few years to include all the automotive groups. Nowadays we can as- event has merited treatment in our sert that our list of clients is as long as that of our most immediate com- section entitled The Photo. petitors, but there are still some challenges left to achieve that will strengthen such diversity: industrial implantation in Russia this year, con- GA is making an enormous effort to solidation of the American territory, and continuing our expansion in Asia. minimise the environmental impact of our activities, with our main ac- The combination of Globalization and Diversity provides a dynamic and tions being: GA-Magnesio has been solid Group, capable of facing all the challenges that might arise. We are making magnesium components the reliable alternative to the mega-suppliers of automotive parts, and we since 2006 to reduce the weight of need to keep advancing technologically, moving into a position where we

the vehicle and thus its CO2 emis- have an advantage over them in those products that constitute our strate- sions; ASH has been producing gic specialty lines. Coretech® agglomerate boards since We have reasonable grounds to look at the future with optimism. 2005, for construction work made from the remains of the roofs. If we analyze the diversification of our clients and our global presence while at the same time examining the penetration in the market of each one of At the beginning of 2008 a new the three main products that make up our portfolio, we can see that we area was set up in our business con- have reached a very important market share of 26% (without including stituting a new element in our strat- Japan) for our overhead systems, but both in seats and door panels, hard egy: Corporate Social Responsibili- trim and other interior trims, our figures are still quite low. ty. Grupo Antolin publicly an- nounced its commitment to work on The technological domain, together with the increasing industrial prestige the impact of our activity on the en- of our Group, opens up a potential field of growth that we need to learn vironment, people and social milieu. how to cultivate. In the automotive parts industry we are one of the few This subject is focused on in the Spe- companies that enjoy prestige for their sustained industrial vocation while cial section of this newsletter. others give more importance to short-term financial aspects.

The Marketing department is co- Our aforementioned business vocation characterized by a clear strategy operating closely on the communi- for long-term growth, sustained by a team of highly trained professionals cation and publication of the activ- working together, is the best guarantee of success to face the challenges ities of the CSR section. Q that lie ahead in our sector. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 3 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 4

cover story ANNUAL Convention When José Manuel Temiño started to go over the data available for 2007 in his total figures, as a general observation he noted that they had all improved sig- nificantly with respect to those for the previous tax year, and that their absolute values constitute a historic record for the Group both in terms of sales and also in results. He likewise expressed satisfaction in the fact that they far exceeded the figures budgeted

Turnover by product and client

With respect to previous years, we would like to draw attention to the growing importance of our seats in our turnover for products. Whereas in 2006 this product represented 7.7% of our sales figures, in 2007 its value virtually doubled, amounting to nearly 13.5%. The year 2011 still stands out as reflecting greater importance for the overhead function with respect to the door function. This is basically due to the demodularisation trend in the case of the door, which has a negative impact on our turnover for this product. Nonetheless, taking into account our dominant position in technology, global pres- ence and the degree of penetration we have achieved in door panels and pillar trim, it should be pointed out that our objectives for growth with regard to doors and hardtrim target figures that are slightly higher than have been con- sidered until now. As reflected in our forecast during 2007, our business is now more evenly distributed with respect to clients.

Territories DOES

Sales have exceeded those for 2006 by 13%. Profitability has doubled that of 2006, which has also far exceeded our expectations. Attention is drawn to the fact that the behaviour of our companies in Brazil continues to be excellent. Also worthy of note is the result obtained by the seat department, in which, thanks mainly to the lightning efficiency of the new Picasso, their expectations regarding profitability have already been confirmed.

News Grupo Antolin 4 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 5

On a commercial level, it is worth mentioning our penetra- dom, which we consider to be crucial for the Group’s sus- tion in a new client: VOLVO, with the award of headliners, tained growth. lighting consoles and pillars. The HYUNDAI-KIA Group has chosen us to be their new manufacturer for headliners and door panels. This will con- solidate our position in the eastern part of Central Europe. DONA On an industrial level, it is worth drawing attention to Grupo The North American territory with sales figures that are sim- Antolin’s acquisition of the headliners manufacturing com- ilar to those achieved in 2006 shows results that are high- pany owned by our competitor in the United Kingdom in the er than those projected in the budget, as a result of be- town of Leamington Spa, near Birmingham. This will en- ing positively affected by the magnificent operations of able us to be virtually the sole producer of headliners in the United Kingdom and to combine the activities we already Grupo Antolin-Illinois, with levels of quality and efficien- engage in over there, re-locating from KENT to Leaming- cy that place it up at the top in terms of excellence. ton in a single production facility that is much better situ- On the other hand, we have to mention the lack of prof- ated geographically speaking, and will allow us to make itability of Grupo Antolin-Silao, in which, following a important savings, leading to greater profitability. long period of difficult business negotiations, it has proved We have also taken initial steps towards achieving our in- possible to improve price levels, which together with im- dustrial implantation in Russia, where the automotive sector portant efforts to rationalize and improve operations, is expected to see significant growth. Our preliminary loca- should make this company more profitable. tion is in the area of St Petersburg, although, given the Our Group considers that Mexico should not only attempt presence of our clients, VW and Renault, in other parts of to exploit our internal business to the full, but should al- Russia, we are considering the possibility of setting up fur- so provide us with an industrial zone where we can obtain ther installations elsewhere. costs giving us a competitive advantage throughout North We have completed our industrial implantation in Poland, America. For this reason, we believe that our solid indus- where in 2008 we shall begin manufacturing medium-size trial presence in Mexico provides an important pillar for the plastic parts for the Central European market. With the strategic development of the Group. launching of this company together with those already in ex- To sum up, while continuing to be faced with important istence, the Group is able to cover its strategic positions challenges such as the substitution of modular door con- satisfactorily to produce and supply plastic parts of large and cepts currently being supplied to Ford or Chrysler, the medium dimensions, thereby consolidating its position in the excellent image of Grupo Antolin in North America, the European market. significant progress made in terms of quality and the in- In January of this year we concluded our negotiations to pur- volvement of our entire organisation in taking advan- chase 100% of TANIS, producing parts for the northern tage of the opportunities that arise and in an uncontrol- region of France and principally for our clients, Renault and lable market allow us to hope that from 2009 onwards our PSA. Taking control of this company will allow us to em- business in the territory will grow even more than ex- bark on our strategy for this product line with greater free- pected in previous strategic plans.

A relaxing moment during the convention News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 5 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 6

DOAAP Turnover by product Headliners This territory has been growing in general terms, both Doors 42% with respect to turnover and results, and also in the signif- Seats 4% icant steps that have been taken in 2007 to increase our presence and thus be in a position to continue with the Others growth expected in these emerging economies, which are becoming more and more consolidated. 13% China 41%

- Apart from very satisfactory financial results, we have al- so been able to increase our portfolio of clients by win- ning a number of orders. - At the end of the year an agreement was signed with Ning- Turnover by client

bo HuaXiang, a local firm, to have a 50% stake in the VW Group 27% creation of a JV to manufacture door panels and hardtrim FORD Group 17% in China. This agreement offers us the opportunity to in- crease our range of products and thus be able to contribute RENAULT-NISSAN 17% to the expected growth of the Chinese market. PSA 13% South Korea CHRYSLER Group 7% GM 5% - We have obtained important orders from the Hyundai BMW Group 4% Group, for their new projects in the Czech Republic, both in modular headliners and in door panels. This will en- OTHERS 4% able us to increase our presence in Eastern Europe and DAIMLER 3%

we are now launching a new industrial plant in the JAPANESE 3% area of Ostrava. - We have signed a JV contract to purchase 30% of the shares of the Korean company DongWon Tech, manu- facturers of 100% of the door panels for the Renault subsidiary, Renault Samsung Motors (RSM). Conclusions India Fields in which we should focus our analysis before go- - India is now a patent reality within the car market. Apart ing on immediately to act on the results: from the car makers that are already established in this Productivity market, others such as Renault, Nissan or VW have re- cently announced their plans for this country. The Group has been implementing the Grupo Antolin Pro- duction System (SP) for the last two years, systematizing - With respect to our industrial presence, last year we start- our actions for improvement in accordance with well ed up our third production plant in India, in the city of contrasted methods, the correct application of which we Chennai (Madras) in India. This allows as being present consider to be essential for situating our production units in the 3 big automotive areas in India. at a level of excellence deemed imperative for guaran- - Attention is drawn to the upward trend of the Engi- teeing their future. neering and Design activities carried out by our team in In all the Group’s companies there is already a specific plan Pune, where the number of hours worked in 2007 in- for implementing the SP. The 5S system has been creased by 36%. launched on a worldwide basis and standardisation has We conclude with the fact that our turnover figures only been applied already in some pilot plants. We consider amount to 4% of our total sales. This allows us to draw the it to be imperative to reconceptualise the role of the lead- conclusion that if we make the most of our capacities, ers of UET by offering them further training and more we will have immense potential for growth in countries competences, with this action being an important source with high levels of profitability. of improvement.

News Grupo Antolin 6 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 7

In market situations that escape our control

Quality and make it difficult for us to achieve our Quality continues to be an important area to be improved. objectives, we should concentrate our efforts Irrespective of the reduction achieved in non-quality costs, that have improved our profitability compared to 2006 on examining them from the inside and by €3.5 million, we consider such improvement to be in- sufficient. putting strategic and immediately relevant 2008 should be a year in which we take the ratio of PPM’s action plans into practice that will enable us intragroup to similar levels to those demanded by our clients for our final supplies. In order to do so, we need to work to overcome such difficulties as a team between the supplier and internal client, and also at the level of extreme self-criticism and vigilance in our production plants. The STA team is obtaining important improvements in qual- ity for sales components, even though it is still the control of our network of suppliers, together with a more rigorous ap- plication of basic tools such as FMEA or the Definition of Sig- its rate of growth thanks to the commitment of its peo- nificant Characteristics that are the two key factors involved ple, quietly sustaining the direction and strategy of the com- in substantially enhancing our quality ratios. pany that has brought us to our current position as one As a final conclusion we would like to mention that, in spite of the 60 major companies in the car industry on a world- of the difficulties raised by the market, our Group maintains wide scale. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 7 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:08 Página 8

José Antolin and Miguel Angel Vicente

Recognition and awards ceremony

Pilar Arribas and Esteve Pujolá Javier Pelegrín and Fernando Sanz

Mariano Álvarez and Damian Gordo There are many people that contribute year after year with suggestions for improving their work. Grupo Antolin would like to thank all our employees for their efforts in contributing BEST COMPANY towards Total Quality Grupo Antolin-Illinois, Prize received by Miguel Ángel Vicente

INDIVIDUAL PRIZES

1st Esteve Pujolá Mas (G.A. Martorell) Improvement proposal: "Modification of speaker packaging in Seat line”

2nd Eduardo del Hoyo Lorenzo (G.A. Ardasa), prize received by Javier Pelegrín Improvement proposal: "Re-designing nailing tool for B-58 seats”

3rd Mariano Álvarez Arana (G.A. Magnesio) Improvement proposal: "Injection machine instruction manual”

News Grupo Antolin 8 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:09 Página 9

Jan Jelinek, Daniela Servinská and Ernesto Antolin

Jose Antonio Otero and Jesús Pascual COLLECTIVE AWARDS 1st G.A. Bohemia, Prize received by Jan Jelinek and Daniela Servinská - Jan Jelinek (leader) - Petr Hovorka - Jan Pavelka - Tomáš Hekele - Daniela Servinská Improvement proposal: "PUR-foam calibration system"

Petr Vízek and Jose María Astobieta 2nd G.A. Vigo, Prize received by J.A. Otero - José Antonio Otero Pereira (leader) - Marco Antonio González Fernández - José Fraga Rionda - Rubén Cagiao Avendaño - Yobana Rodríguez Pérez - Alberto Bao Sánchez Improvement proposal: "Ergonomic and visual improvement of the R2 Line”

3rd G.A. Turnov,Prize received by Petr Vízek - Vladimír K ížek (leader) - Petr Vízek ř Jose Manuel Temiño and Luis Cerdán - Tomáš S va - Pavel Egrtů Improvement proposal: "Application of fabric adhesive layer (Insert A5)"

TOTAL QUALITY IMPLICATION AWARDS Luis Cerdán Martínez (G.A. Ara) NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 29/4/08 01:54 Página 10

interview

A talk with the President The Annual Convention is a chance to meet up and reflect. It is a time to pause for breath and gather momentum to think about how to tackle the challenges each new year has to offer us. We take advantage of a few spare minutes after the Convention to meet our President, José Antolín, and ask him to anticipate us his vision of the market and to tell us what Grupo Antolin is doing to maintain its position

News Grupo Antolin 10 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:09 Página 11

Q. The media all coincide in pointing out that 2008 no let-up:, we have to go on making these processes will be a difficult year for all sectors of the mar- stronger and more robust until we have complete con- ket and for the car industry in particular. How is trol over them. We have to involve ourselves in the re- Grupo Antolin going about dealing with this prob- ality of our industrial setup. I urge everybody to get down lem? to the assembly line, to touch the PRODUCT, and ex- perience it firsthand. J.A. Yes, we have indeed noticed a drop in orders in our clients’ purchasing programmes of around 6% on average, and also a much tougher relationship between Q. What are the difficulties that our Group might client and supplier, demanding effort and commitment come up against in the short term? from all concerned. I am confident that everyone in our organization will respond to our needs. The Group J.A. Due to the dramatic growth of our Group over the has been through similar situations before, but the dif- past few years, its industrial culture has become complex ference now is that we are much better prepared. We and varied. We should endeavour to remain the cut- have the tools we need to overcome the situation; we ting edge with respect to the knowledge we require and just need to know how to put them to our advantage. to convey such knowledge to all those that need it. This requires a high degree of generosity on everyone’s part. For such purposes, the strategic initiative afford- Q. To what extent, and in spite of the difficult cir- ed by Knowledge Management is a perfect tool. cumstances, can this situation be turned into an op- The experience of our Group is broad enough to capi- portunity for the future? talize on clear plans for improvement that will have a J.A. Well, undoubtedly, if we act sensibly, making the direct impact on our competitiveness in the long and most of our own strengths and resources with deep short term. This applies in particular to those plants knowledge and control of our business. We should go that have historically been lacking in profitability. back to basics in order to gain a full understanding of I would also like to point out that, in the present cir- them and build up a really sound basis. Only in that cumstances, enthusiasm is an indispensable value for way can we make the right decisions. achieving our objectives. We cannot afford the luxury of With this in mind, I would like to stress the industrial allowing ourselves to feel discouraged, but neither processes, which at the end of the day is where all our should we avoid being self-critical, since it is always nec- ideas materialize. Having control over these processes essary to go on questioning our actions, which is the forms the basis of our activity. In this respect there is healthiest way to make progress. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 11 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:09 Página 12

Grupo Antolin - ARA plants

Talleres Ara was founded on 7th August 1967 ARA is the oldest of Grupo Antolin’s plants. Originally, engaged in the it was a store and upholstery shop, and further on, seat production of car trim covers for passenger cars were produced and accessories In 1974, following an increase of capital, the company moved to new premises on the Gamonal-Villimar industrial estate, and was permanently redesigned for use as a factory making seats for industrial vehicles. It was also used later on to manu- facture door panels and window regulators. This led to ARA GUARNECIDOS (cur- rently Grupo Antolin-ARAGUSA) being separated from the rest of the company in 1979 and Grupo Antolin-DAPSA in 1984, with our main clients at that time being: ENASA-PEGASO, TALBOT,FASA RENAULT,NISSAN MOTOR IBÉRICA, EBRO KUBOTA and MERCEDES BENZ ESPAÑA.

In 1985, needing more space, the company moved to the Villalonquéjar industrial es- tate where they set up permanent installations as a plant devoted exclusively to the manufacture of seat frames and complete seat units. In those days, the industrial estate was still a long way outside the city and industrial centre of Burgos, and could only be reached by going along a narrow road through the grove of trees in the cemetery, with a difficult access in winter because of the snow. At this new facility they made seats for industrial vehicles: PEGASO, NISSAN, EBRO KUB- OTA, NISSAN FORKLIFT,FIAT AGRI, and later on for MERCEDES BENZ ESPAÑA. They al- so mounted seats in passenger cars, and began making seat covers for RENAULT ve- hicles. For this reason, a number of women were taken on to sew the covers. Mean- while, in Valladolid, another plant was set up known as Grupo Antolin-RyA, a company First seat for the Nissan forklift and individual passenger seat for the current Mercedes devoted to making covers for FASA RENAULT and subsequently also for other clients.

In 1990 they started making seats for VITARA and SAMURAI for the SANTANA MO- TOR company. This production line was subsequently transferred to the new plant in Linares: GA-LINARA.

News Grupo Antolin 12 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:09 Página 13

Sales by client

GA-Álava (Daimler) 5% 3% 83% Nissan 1% Daimler 8% Others

GA - Linara (Santana)

Accumulated payroll

2007 221

2006 207

2005 194

2004 202

2003 152

Turnover in thousand €

2007 33

2006 34

2005 30

2004 27

2003 16

Turnover for the past 5 years at the plant

In 1992-93, production commenced for the back seat of the commercial vehicle FORD Courier.

From 1996 onwards, production commenced for the back seats in vans complete with 3-point integrated seatbelts made of light alloys. It was at this time that we also pen- etrated another sector, with seats for the rail industry.

Talleres Ara changed the firm’sname in 1999 to GRUPO AN- TOLIN ARA, S.L. to adapt to the new system for designat- ing companies forming part of the Group that was co- herent with the new corporate image. Assembly line as it looks nowadays

2003 saw the beginnings of the Mercedes Vito/Viano proj- Female workers in the 1970’s ect. It is since this date that GA-ARA has been manufac- turing the frames for the backseats of this vehicle. These are put together solely in Vitoria for all over the world. The large quantity of seats and versions led to the opening of another assembly and sequencing production plant on the Daimler- España industrial plant in Vitoria known as GA-ALAVA. The new plant was devoted to covering the frames made in Bur- gos along with their sequenced supply. Seats are currently being made for the following vehicles: Mercedes Vito and Viano, Nissan Atleon, Nissan Forklift and Suzuki Vitara. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 13 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:09 Página 14 Emotional Design

Department of Industrial Design designing the future Grupo Antolin

The purpose of emotional design is to modify or create products that are capable of generating emotions in the users. From this viewpoint, a product that stimu- lates the senses leads to an increase in confidence and loyalty on the part of the client

Nowadays, when designing products, a number of factors need to be taken into account such as ergonomics, manufacturing techniques, or materials. The range of products is becoming wider and wider; so one of the aims is to make a particu- lar brand stand out from the rest. Furthermore, customers are gaining in experi- ence and becoming more and more demanding. This all means that the customer has become one of the key factors in the design process for a new product. The fact that a certain product can evoke sensations, emotions or memories is something of which we were already aware but knowing how to understand and gen- erate these with respect to specific products is not an easy task. Emotions are quite personal, and temporary,and can sometimes even occur simultaneously.Studying and classifying these phenomena, and determining the way in which they come about with reference to a specific design is the objective of Kansei engineering.

Kansei Design

The term Kansei is a Japanese compound, in which kan means sensitivity and sei sen- sibility. The method was introduced in the seventies by Professor Mitsuo Nagamachi. It involves classifying and measuring the emotions that people feel towards ob- jects in such a way that these may be incorporated in the manufacturing process. Mazda was one of the first companies to adapt to this new school and hired Naga- machi and all his team to head up the design of the MX5, one of the most widely sold sports cars around the world. They studied everything from turning radiuses to the sound made by the doors when closing to achieve a product that was emotionally attractive.

Mazda MX5

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A design focused on the users aims to give them satisfaction when using the product. In this respect, emotional design is “an added value that takes account of the emotional factors and feelings a product can generate. Loading a product with feelings and emotional value makes it more pleasant to use. In other words, it seems closer to the person using it and this means that they feel bonded to it

Such approaches demonstrate how emotions have an technology institutes, is now working on a programme effect on the degree of satisfaction” shown by the client and of Emotional Design that will enable our products to arouse the commercial success of a product or service. the right sensations in the users depending on the type of vehicle and target (serenity, happiness or status, for When manufacturers from the same sector reach the same instance). degree of technical quality, it is difficult to make a dis- tinction between the various brands, and for that rea- son, the emotional responses of the client to a product have become decisive factors in their decision to buy. How emotions work

The car interior is a complex product, the use of which Living, hating, feeling indifference. The process involving brings the user into continual contact with it. For this whether we love or hate an object depends on three cog- reason it is becoming more and more important for users nitive functions (the capacity of our brain to process in- to perceive a good feeling from the car interior so that this coming information). Our interaction with everyday ob- can influence their final decision to buy a vehicle. GA’s jects reflects three levels of emotional design in very dif- Department of Industrial Design, together with specialised ferent ways:

Cognitive functions Emotional experiences Emotions felt at the moment the attraction generated by the object, first impression Visceral when the purchase is made

Emotions felt when using Use, manipulation of the product Behavioural the product

Emotions felt at the moment of Brand image, social status, nostalgia Reflexive becoming the owner of the product

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Corporate Social Responsibility at Grupo Antolin

special Emma Antolin Head of Corporate Social Responsibilty Area

Since the beginning of the year Grupo Antolin has been firmly committed towards the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility. Due to the number of synergies involved, this section forms part of the Department of Human Resources

Nowadays the proper application of such policies creates competitive advantages in the various spheres of application occupied by the company. Originally, Corporate Responsibility was deemed to be synonymous with philanthropic donations, pa- Coretech panels used in the building industry tronage or collaborative efforts with NGOs. However, we are now moving to- wards the integration and development of benchmarks that show a relationship between Corporate Responsibility and the company’s financial results. In recent years the concept of Corporate Responsibility is currently experiencing a significant boost on an inter- Corporate Social national scale. Company sustainability, or - what amounts to the same thing - sat- isfying the needs of present generations without compromising the potential of Responsibility has become a future generations to attend to their own needs has become one of the principal aims “ currently espoused by companies. It is in this context that discussions are set up new element of corporate with special interest groups and social and environmental practices are imple- business strategy. Companies mented that increase the value of the company. from different sectors are

starting to include activities Social Responsibility for Corporate Responsibility Environmental Management Sustainable in their value chains Management

Magnesium Ingot Economic News Grupo Antolin ” Management 16 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 17

1.Reduction and monitoring of energy consumption: this concerns a policy that addresses the optimisation of energy resources. Thanks to these activities, the Group is managing to reduce its impact on the environment. 2. Magnesium alloys. The use of magnesium as an alter- native material to steel, which makes it possible to re- duce the weight of the vehicle, with the subsequent Highly resistant structure made of Coretech panel in the centre plus reduction in CO2 emissions. two panels covered with covering materials Magnesium alloy seat frame

We can certainly say that Corporate Responsibility is an activity that drinks from each and every one of our de- partments, and therefore cuts across the entire company. It is an area that focuses its resources on the company’s intangible assets, and watches over the company’s repu- tation on a mid and long-term basis. Grupo Antolin has publicised its commitment to working on the impact generated by our activity with respect to the environment, individuals and the social setting in which we have a presence. At the same time, we have broad- ened our commitment to include suppliers and partners and propose collaborating with our clients in their Corporate Re- sponsibility policies. In order to achieve this objective, the area will focus resources and efforts on the identification and management of risks, on information transparency and on dialogue with special interest groups. Todo this we have:

1. Projects that are included under the umbrella of Re- sponsible Innovation that we are currently develop- ing and that will open doors for us leading to further 3. Coretech®. This is a product that has been developed by business, as is the case with Coretech® and magne- GA from the waste generated from our headliner pro- sium alloys, which will reduce the weight of the vehi- duction line. With this responsible innovation solution, cle. we are diversifying in a sustainable way. Some of the products made with Coretech® are platforms or insu- 2. Sustainability Reports or triple bottom line, which lating strips for the building sector. allow for the communication of economic, social and environmental aspects defining our company. 4. GA’sTeletraining Programme in Brazil. GA has organised standardised training sessions at its facilities in Brazil 3. Finally,the work with special interest groups, with which for all personnel wishing to complete their studies at we will start discussions during 2008 and which will en- an elementary or intermediate level. Through the Brazil- able us to get to know Grupo Antolin from a different an- ian Semi-Arid Programme, GA is undertaking to improve gle and be aware of the areas that require improvement. social conditions in the region through the purchase and One of the first steps taken by our company in this area installation of 5 water pumps that will supply water to was to join the World Compact in 2003. By means of 250 families. this agreement we have committed ourselves to respect- There is a long list of activities that have been developed by ing the principles of conduct and action enshrined in the individuals and teams at Grupo Antolin either on their own Compact with respect to human rights, labour, the envi- initiative or else as a response to a specific need. What is ronment and the fight against corruption. clear is the fact that they have taken account of the strate- Nonetheless, GA has instigated a long list of actions that gic value of this activity; the underlying essence is that of address this concept and are conducted both from our main the desire of the company to commit itself to the people office and also from our various factories around the world. forming part of it and the commitment to set an example Some of the activities carried out include the following: of good behavior and responsibility. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 17 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 18

special New Tax regulations for transactions between associated companies

Most relevant changes implemented in keeping with Law on measures for Tax Fraud Prevention

Economic and Finance Department Grupo Antolin On 1st December 2006 the fiscal reform came into force concerning associated transactions, through the Law not unintentionally referred to as the”Law on measures The new Law eliminates for Tax Fraud Prevention”. This law includes a number the need for the existence of measures designed to regulate transactions carried out between entities belonging to the same group of of a written contract companies, within the framework of the fiscal system “ for associated operations, more commonly referred to drawn up between as Transfer Pricing associated bodies before the service is rendered Reasons for reform

Economic globalisation has increased the concern of the Tax Authorities about policies on transfer pricing, because of its possible use as a mechanism for trans- ” ferring profits to tax havens, or more favourable territories for tax purposes. Therefore, through this reform, the Spanish Inland Revenue hopes to bring its own procedures in this respect into line with those followed by the Tax Office in other countries around us, in particular with reference to the guidelines issued by the OECD and the EU Joint Transfer Pricing Forum. The principle underpinning the new regulation requires transactions carried out between associated individuals or entities to be assessed according to their “normal market value”, which is understood to be that agreed upon by inde- pendent persons or enterprises operating under comparable conditions and circumstances.

News Grupo Antolin 18 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 19

What is normal market value?

The new regulations set out the methods that are recog- nised for calculating the “market value”, which are fixed in accordance with the guidelines issued by the OECD. As a general rule, any one of the following three meth- What are associated entities? ods may be applied: Basically, associated individuals or entities are considered Comparable uncontrolled price method (“comparable to be the following: uncontrolled price method”): comparar el precio del bien · An entity and its partners, advisers and administra- o servicio con operaciones similares entre partes inde- tors, along with relatives with up to a third degree of pendientes. kinship. Cost plus method adding the usual margin in similar · Two entities that belong to a group, their partners, ad- transactions conducted between independent parties to visers and administrators, along with relatives with up the purchase value or production costs. to a third degree of kinship. Resale minus method subtracting the margin applied · Entities with a stake of at least 25% in the share capi- between independent parties in identical or similar trans- tal or their own funds. If the association is established actions from the sales prices. between a partner and an entity, the percentage is Two subsidiary methods are also established based on the equal to or higher than 5%, or 1% if listed companies profit the entities intervening in the operation stand to are involved. obtain in connection with a further series of transactions, in those cases where the methods mentioned above can- not be applied owing to the complex nature or lack of in- Documentation requirements formation concerning such transactions: The new regulations concerning associated transactions Profit split method in accordance with a distribution cri- establish that the associated individuals or entities should terion applied by independent parties. ensure that the documentation required by law is always Transactional net margin method the margin obtained readily available and at the disposal of the Tax Office. by third parties carrying out similar activities. Secondary implementing legislation should have been drafted during 2007; however this had still not been published at the time when this article went to press. Nevertheless, in keeping with the provisions set out in the “Code of Conduct on transfer pricing documenta- tion” published by the Council of the European Union, we can guess that the documentation required will con- sist of two main categories: · A set of documents with the pertinent common stan- dardised information for all members of the group (masterfile) · Several sets of standardised documents, each of which contains the relevant information for a single country (“specific documentation for each country”).. Likewise, the future Regulations may also set out excep- tions or amendments to the general documentation re- quirements in the case of SMEs and companies forming part of the same tax group. Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 19 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 20

Clean energy Opening ceremony for the Main Office solar park

From left to right: Amador Díez, José Antolin, Joaquín Boneta, Paco Martínez and Ismael Martín

the photo News Grupo Antolin 20 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 21

The Delegate from Iberdrola for the Region of Castilla y León, Joaquín Boneta Beorlegui, together with the Regional Head for Burgos-Soria from Iberdrola, Óscar Villanueva Moreno, and the President of Grupo Antolin, José Antolin Toledano, opened Grupo Antolin’s solar park at the Main Office in Burgos on 12th December 2007

This is the biggest solar park in the city and province of Burgos, and apart from pro- ducing energy, it also provides a roof over the company employees’ cars.

Grupo Antolin hopes to maintain its investments in this type of installation and ex- tend these progressively to the other plants owned by the multinational company in Spain. With this initiative, Grupo Antolin joins the global project for using re- newable energy, while also maintaining a firm commitment to protect the environ- ment through continuous improvement of its products and services to make them compatible with sustainable development. Q

From left to right: Amador Díez, Óscar Villanueva, José Antolin, Joaquín Boneta and Ismael Martín News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 21 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:10 Página 22

Grupo Antolin to supply Daimler Trucks clients Alessandro Fontana Commercial Director South America Territory in Brazil

For the first time in its history, Grupo Antolin will supply window regulators for trucks manufactured by the Daim- Production will commence at ler Group. Iramec will make 82,000 sets of window lifters the end of 2008 with an a year for Daimler Trucks in Sao Bernardo do Campo output of windows “ Relations between Grupo Antolin and Mercedes-Benz do Brasil date back to 1997, regulators amounting to when we began to supply cables from IRAMEC for opening the bonnet on the A Class vehicle, which was manufactured until 2006 at the plant in Juiz de Fora. At approximately 82,000 sets that time GA did not expect its relations to last with DaimlerChrysler, as the Group was then known, since output of A Class vehicles was very small and furthermore, per year.This new business we were not involved in IRAMEC’s “core business”, which are electric windows. marks the start of a new era The years went by and success with the Class A supply strengthened the business relations between the two Groups. for Grupo Antolin in Brazil In 2003 Smart named GA Intertrim as supplier of the headliner and sunvisors for the new vehicle they were expecting to manufacture in Juiz de Fora, which also makes C Class for the American market. This project did not meet with much luck as, due to some changes made at the top of DC and internal restructuring within the group, the Smart project Formore W456 was cancelled mid-term. Market share in Brazil in 2006” Fortunately GA’s business efforts both in Brazil and also in Germany have paid off and in 2007 Daimler AG named Intertrim as supplier of the headliner for the re- 31,9% Mercedes-Benz placement of the Mercedes C Class Sport coupé, the CLC, which will be made ex- clusively in Brazil as of the summer of 2008. 30,6% VW At the end of 2006 talks started with respect to the opportunities for window reg- 18,6% Ford ulators for the NTC (Atego 6.6-15Tn and Axor 18-41Tn) and SERIE (Linha Tradi- 8,9% cional, 50Tn max.) production lines for the trucks manufactured by Mercedes-Benz Volvo do Brasil at their plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo. This Daimler plant has approx- 7,4% imately 10,300 employees and produces the full range of trucks for the Latin Amer- Scania ican market; it also manufactures engines and transmission systems and owns tooling facilities. Furthermore, it is the only development centre for Daimler Trucks Medium-Duty Trucks/Heavy-Duty Trucks Source: Daimler Trucks in South America. Finally, in December 2007, following some tough negotiations, we were selected to supply 100% of the cab closing system for the SERIE model (Linha Tradicional). Q News Grupo Antolin 22 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 23 news in brief en brief

Grupo Antolin As a result of this first meeting, the · Bilateral commitment to agree upon Group has been actively involved in de- detailed cost models relating physical is selected as tecting the strengths and weaknesses in attributes to commodity price. our direct interface with Ford. Last Janu- · Bilateral commitment to a competitive ary, thanks to the cooperation of 47 peo- preferred supplier cost at Job#1, with less emphasis on ple of Grupo Antolin from all levels of the year-over-year price reductions. in Ford, ABF organization with experience of work- (Alligned Business ing worldwide with this client, we cre- · Ford/Supplier on-going senior leader- ated an extensive report highlighting ar- ship communication. Framework) eas for improvement. · Ford/Supplier open collaboration on The ABF agreement has been designed to Global footprint, including manufac- reinforce and strengthen our long-term turing and engineering facilities. partnership with this client, thereby rein- Some of the commitments on the part of forcing and ensuring the competitiveness Grupo Antolin are: proof of financial sta- of both companies. This proves the im- bility, support in production in the event portance of the agreement, which will of a catastrophe, or other type of inter- foster a relationship between Ford and ruption caused by other suppliers, man- Grupo Antolin based on mutual honesty. agement of suitable working conditions The agreement, which has a validity of 5 at plants belonging to both Grupo An- years and is renewable, was signed by tolin and its suppliers, and a commit- Miguel Angel Vicente on behalf of Grupo During the final quarter of 2007, Miguel ment to offer Ford the latest innovations. Antolin on 31st January 2008. Angel Vicente, representing Grupo An- Finally, we would like to underline the tolin, met Tony Brown, Ford’s Global Pur- Among the most notable bilateral com- fact that the confidential nature of all the chasing Director, on several occasions to mitments set out in the agreement, are information generated and exchanged by discuss the terms of the agreement as a as follows: both parties, implicating everyone in- preferential supplier of Ford. Apart from · Ford/Supplier commitment to achieve volved in such cooperation from both discussing the agreement per se, the aim best-in-class quality through up-front companies, is an especially sensitive aspect of the meeting was to put forward pro- quality engineering focusing on failure in upholding the terms of the agreement posals for improving our daily operations mode avoidance, FMEA methodology. and the trust deposited by our client. with them, for enhancing the interac- tion of the two parties in all spheres of · Bilateral commitment to data trans- We hope this agreement will facilitate application: from innovation, costs, and parency, including benchmark and ZBE our business relations over the next 5 development to production and supply. (Zero Based Estimate) detail. years with this client. Q

tionalities ranging from the guidance of the automats con- BLADE is born trolling our production lines to the collection and presenta- tion of Lean statistics (OEE, FTT, BTS, etc.), also including the During the past few years the Information Systems Depart- traceability of the components, sequencing and even man- ment has taken part in certain projects in an attempt to re- agement of the warehouses – and all of this in real time. spond to the ever-increasing needs for automation in the in- Still in its early stages of development and modularization, dustrial sector. The launching of GA-Vigo was an enormous we are working with all the plants, Product Departments and challenge for the computer systems and in some respects the DEOM to finalise the scope of such functionalities. Dur- helped us give shape to what is now the BLADE (Business ing the first half of 2008 the product will be installed at the Logic Application & Data Extraction) project. new GA-Jarny plant (France) as well as at GA-Autotrim (Va- This MES (Manufacturing Execution System) will cover func- lencia). Q

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 23 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 24

16th Christmas indoor Soccer Tournament

The two teams that played in the final in the tournament, G.A. Plasbur in orange and G.A. Eurotrim in yellow with blue stripes 16th Christmas indoor soccer tournament

G.A. Plasbur won the exciting and closely contested final of our traditional Christmas tournament of five-a-side football. Congratulations to the champs!. The under 8’s jun- ior team formed by the children of our employees gives us an example of fine play at the beginning of the 2008 season with an excellent start so far, ranking second in the table in the second division. The under 8’s matches are held on Saturdays at the facili- G.A. Plasbur ties of the Plantío. Q Group A Group B G.A.Aragusa "B" - G.A.Ardasa 1 - 10 G.A. Magnesio - G.A. Plasbur 2 - 9 G.A.Ardasa - ZFAnsa Lemforder 8 - 4 G.A.Plasbur - G.A.Dapsa 8 - 0 ZFAnsa Lemforder - G.A.Aragusa "B" 5 - 4 G.A.Dapsa - G.A.Magnesio 6 - 3

Group C Group D G.Antolin “B” G.A.RyA - G.Antolin "B" 4 - 7 G.A.Aragusa "A" - G.A. Eurotrim 2 - 6 G.Antolin "B" - G.A.Ara 2 - 1 G.A.Eurotrim - G.Antolin "A" 6 - 3 G.A.Ara - G.A.RyA 2 - 0 G.Antolin "A" - G.A.Aragusa "A" 6 - 3

Semifinal G.A.Ardasa - G.A.Plasbur 5 - 9 G.Antolin "B" - G.A.Eurotrim 3 - 7 G.A. Eurotrim 3rd and 4th place

FINAL CLASSIFICATION G.A.Ardasa - G.Antolin "B" 1 - 2 1º G.A. PLASBUR 2º G.A. EUROTRIM FINAL 3º G. ANTOLIN "B" G.A. Plasbur - G.A. Eurotrim 8 - 7 4º G.A. ARDASA 5º G.A. ARA G.A. Ardasa 6º G. ANTOLIN "A" 7º ZF ANSA LEMFORDER SpORTSMANSHIp TOp SCORER 8º G.A. DAPSA G. Antolin "B" Rodrigo Rodríguez 9º G.A. RYA (G.A. Plasbur) 10º G.A. ARAGUSA "A" BEST pLAYER 11º G.A. ARAGUSA "B" Roberto Sánchez BEST GOALKEEpER 12º G.A. MAGNESIO (G.A. Plasbur) Jose Mª Madrid (G.A. Ara)

Junior team News Grupo Antolin 24 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 25

Grupo Antolin participates in This exhibition forms part of a more am- bitious project examining the possibility MATER IN of creating the first materials consulta- tion centre in Spain. This consists of a li- pROGRESS brary of materials that will be erected as César Merino – Head of Carbon a permanent forum for debate, ex- Nanofibres – at the GA stand Exhibition change, consultation and information for professionals, designers, engineers and architects and will draw on the Grupo Antolin The search for materials and their in- knowledge generated by the agents novation for use with cars is a key fac- working in this area on a daily basis. and its Carbon tor for the sector’s development. This is one of the aspects that can be seen Grupo Antolin has taken part in this Nanofibres in very clearly in the exhibition “MATER in project with the following proposals: progress. New materials, new indus- Carbon nanofibres, Magnesium alloy, Tokyo try”, which is open from 8th February high-pressure injection, and Coretech to 28th April 2008 at the offices of the Grupo Antolin participated in the (chipboard made from re-cycling waste FAD (Fomento de las Artes y del Dis- sixth edition of the “nano tech from the manufacture of headliners). Q eño) in Barcelona. 2008” trade fair held in Tokyo (Japan) from 13th to 15th February. The show offers a glimpse of 106 proj- Dates: The fair aims to display the latest ects selected by a panel of experts after From 08.02.2008 to 28.04.2008 developments in Nanoscience and consultation with some 4,000 compa- Place: Nanotechnology and to be a meet- nies, in which the potential of the new At the Convent dels Àngels, FAD, ing point for the most important materials is presented from the per- Plaça dels Àngels 5-6 - Barcelona experts in these areas. spective of various different sectors. (Spain) Grupo Antolin was present at the Different products in Magnesium Opening hours: fair with its Carbon Nanofibres, to- manufactured by Grupo Antolin Monday to Saturday from 11 am to gether with all the other entities 8 pm. most representative of Spain, in- side the Spanish Pavilion organized Free entry by Phantoms Foundation in co-op- eration with ICEX. General view of the exhibition During the exhibition various activ- ities are put on of an informative and formative nature, making this the most important event in its field on a global scale and an annual date not to be missed. In this edition more than 420 ex- hibitors from 21 countries attended the event with more than 50,000 visitors. Q

General view of the exhibition site

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 25 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 26

san Purchasing Organization), and Yann Vincent, Senior Vice-Pres- Dongwon Tech, Grupo ident of Renault, in charge of Quality, gave “Renault Suppli- Antolin’s Korean partner, er Quality Awards" to seven component and service suppliers. These prizes acknowledge the suppliers’ performance and out- awarded in the 2007 standing actions, in favor of quality.They are also intended to reinf orce the motivation of all the suppliers, in order to reach the qualit “Renault supplier Quality y objectives set by Renault. These awards are related to Renault Commitment 2009, which ha Awards” for door module s made quality one of its priorities. In 2007, Renault reached the b est level in its history regarding the quality of components delivere assembly d to the plants, which places the Group among the world’sbest v olume carmakers, with respect to vehicle quality.

On February 6 2008, Carlos Ghosn, President of Renault, Odile De For vehicle and mechanical component suppliers, prize recipi- sforges, Senior Vice-President of Renault, in charge of Purchas- ents are rewarded for their quality performance in a specific fam- ing, and Chairman & Managing Director of R.N.P.O. (Renault Nis- ily of products and within one of the four regions (Europe / Eu- romed / Americas / Asia-Africa). They were chosen for the quali- ty of components delivered to Renault’splants, their ability to solve p otential problems and their customer satisfaction performance. After having congratulated the seven awarded suppliers, Car- los Ghosn thanked all the suppliers’ representatives as well as their teams for the accomplished work and the good results. On November 23 2007, Grupo Antolin signed an agree- ment to purchase 30% of the shares held by the Korean com- pany Dongwon Tech. Q

From left to right: Javier Alvarez (Matrici Sociedad Cooperativa) / Gerhard Niebch (Robert Bosch Limitada) / Yann Vincent / Dong-Yeoub Ryu (Dongwon Technology co.,ltd) / Odile Desforges / Eugen Rauth (Elba s.a.) / Carlos Ghosn / Luc Le Bastard (Valeo Engine Cooling) / Guy Vacher (Eurovia) / Stewart Oades (Christian Salvesen plc)

· 23 October PSA Systems Audit for · 26 to 29 November AENOR. Audit for Audits in M59 sunvisors. Result ACEpTABLE ISO-TS certification. Result OK - Antolin-Tanger · 24 October BMW Audit. Certificate obtained Result OK - 81% satisfactory · 4 December Business Visit from PSA Purchasing Department for seats. Over the past eight months we have re- · 29 to 31 October SEAT Audit. Result OK ceived visits from our clients to carry out Systems Audit of NCV2 seat covers. their respective audits. They have all Seat 411 Project. Result: Supplier B · 17 and 18 January 2008 Ford Site been conducted successfully, leaving us · 8 to 9 November AENOR Audit. Audit Assessment by Paco Taroncher and satisfied that we have fulfilled our of Phase 1 ISO-TS. Result OK Darin Warmer. Result OK clients’ expectations. In addition, AENOR · 14 November Visit from Ford. · 10 March Run & Rate by Renault BD have also awarded us their very de- Business visit to discuss possible new 95 Project. Result OK manding ISO-TS certificate. business. Result OK

· 15 November Mollertech Audit of RVI Such good results are the product of the · 12-13 June 2007 ASES Re-audit by sunvisors. Result OK - 88% continuous effort and dedication on the Nissan. Result: B. 62 puntos satisfactory part of all the team in Tangiers. We · 24 to 27 September Internal Quality · 22 November Faurecia Visit. NCV2 would like to take this opportunity to Audit by Félix Valdivieso. Result OK sunvisors transfer. Result OK thank you all for your commitment. Q

News Grupo Antolin 26 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 27

Detroit auto show Naias 2008

In January,we attended the 101st edition of the NAIAS of Detroit. Judging by what was presented, this was more than just a hall of automobiles - it was an "orchard" where the different "varietals" of "green" tech- nologies won the focus of the attendees. The international pressure put the most polluted country in the planet during the ileged spots of the manufacturer’sdisplays The Japanese and Koreans continue try- last few years was combined with an in- give immediate impact and draw the “first ing to cover all of the market segments creasingly difficult economic situation from glance” of the visitors. As an example, GM including the out of the ordinary ones, the housing market downturn and the in- dedicated a main stage to its "little kids" like the Toyota A-Bat, an concept pickup crease of fuel prices. Ultimately, these are (see photos). Other examples of “little with magnificent aesthetic and superb forcing a change in the automobile “gar- kids” were the small concept of Ford, the design; we still await for the confirma- den" for the still first world-wide producer Verve which will arrive in dealer show- tion of Yaris/Vitz or the Fit/Jazz produc- of vehicles. These have caused a significant rooms in 2010, and also the BMW Mini tion in this territory. awareness of "thinking green" to happen that has continued to move so smoothly The consequences for Grupo Antolin this year. and quickly into the market niche - “like a are clear: on one side efficiency is trans- minnow in the water”. It seems when buy- Efficiency in all variations of consumption lated in lighter components and with a ing a vehicle now, everyone considers gas was clearly the key driver of this 101st edi- minimum impact in the environment in costs first, and consequently size – essen- tion! all its chain of value (“footprint”): in- tially the factors in consumption that will cluding its conception, selection of the First, we observed the "flowering" of eco- now affect their pockets in the long run. materials, development, processes, and logical engines: hybrid motors, lithium and The interiors now have passed to a second their precise and standardized manu- electrical batteries, among others. All the level. In spite of everything, the "despera- facturing – the “elegant solution”. The manufacturers presented at least one tion" of the Big 3 to attract the American other significant impact to us is how model with a variation of this type of en- consumer to its vehicles is producing a our knowledge of trends and aesthetics gine - even including the super-sporty, cus- change in the interiors through an appeal – coupled with our innovative tech- tom-built luxury manufacturer Ferrari! to the senses. Contrast has been accentu- nologies - is translated in our products Second (although not new in Europe) we ated from all the points of view: visual (col- to our customers. These will be crucial saw more than ever before the "little kids" ors), tactile material, graining and texture to convince them, with credibility, that of each of the manufacturer – the small are coupled with other new functionalities these qualities will be the most de- segment cars. These were exhibited in priv- in vehicles outside this scope. manded by the end user. Q

Toyota A-Bat

News Grupo Antolin Spring 2008 27 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 29/4/08 01:54 Página 28

Knowledge Management: FOAMING WORKSHOP

The Workshop on Design-Foaming Com- petence took place from 10th to 14th March: Semi-rigid Polyurethane Foam (Production of PU blocks of foam), in- cluded in the strategic line of Knowl- edge Management. From left to right: José Antonio Pastor (G.A. Autotrim), Sunil Nasare (G.A. Pune), Enrique Fernández (Knowledge The knowledge community formed by Leader), Javier Morente (Knowledge leader), Jan Pavelka (G.A. Bohemia), Montse Santillán (Knowledge Management Coordinator), Jech Vlastimil (G.A. Bohemia), Pugal Venkat (G.A. Chennai), Julio Ferrá (G.A. those in charge of foaming at all of Autotrim), Kemal Toluk (Ototrim), Nelson Holzapfel (G.A. Kentucky), Jairo Santos (G.A. Michigan), Akho Grupo Antolin’s Headliners plants came Matshingana (G.A. South Africa), Luiz Bernardino (Intertrim), Torsten Mueller (G.A. Autoform), Fan Gang (G.A. to train and share their experiences and Shanghai), Hans Wallner (G.A. Autoform), Jaroslaw Ewertowski (G.A. Leamington), Frederic Vignon (G.A. IGA), Santiago Ibáñez (G.A. Eurotrim), Rodrigo del Río (G.A. Eurotrim) and Bruce Xie (G.A. Shanghai). Absent: Raúl knowledge on foaming skills. This Villarreal (G.A. Silao) and Manoj Kapoor (Krishna-G.A.). workshop was extremely practical and focussed on spreading the best stan- dards to be taken into account in the edge were defined in detail, and the tional Workshop on Foaming Competence foaming process. members of the community were as- was the creation of a knowledge com- As knowledge leaders for this skill, En- sessed beforehand with respect to their munity, in which professional relationships rique Fernández and Javier Morente level of knowledge. This assessment was and teamwork could be encouraged, were in charge of guiding the Work- later revised after their attendance at the along with the sharing of knowledge and shop, with the support of Anselmo Ariz- Workshop. experiences with respect to such skills. navarreta and aided by Yolanda In addition, complementary training was To help capitalise and transfer such Martínez. G.A. Eurotrim offered its offered by two of our suppliers (BASF knowledge a Corporate Site was set up, premises for the theory classes and per- and Bayer), focussing on the best process through which the Knowledge leaders mitted visits to be made to the foaming for adapting and handling the raw ma- can publish the best practices and lessons area, prototype assembly line and pro- terial, along with the influence of the learned in managing this skill, distribute duction lines to cover the practical part foaming parameters on the quality of the documentation that is common to all of the workshop. the foam. members of the knowledge community. Prior to commencing the Workshop, the In keeping with the spirit of the strategic By using the forums, the members of information, documentation and experi- line of Knowledge Management, one of the community can share their experi- ence assigned to each level of knowl- the main objectives of this First Interna- ences with respect to the foaming skill. Q

News Grupo Antolin 28 Spring 2008 NEWS primavera 08:Maquetación 1 28/4/08 17:11 Página 29

SAp at G.A. Peter Müller (Minister of the Government Saarland) and Bernhard Mattes (Chief Executive of Ford Werke GmbH) Magnesio JOB1 of the Ford sponsible for assembling, sequencing and supplying headliner modules via conveyor Since the beginning of April our Kuga in Saarlouis to the customer's plant. colleagues at G.A. Magnesio have The headliner substrate for the Ford Kuga been using the SAP application for will be built at GA Autotrim in Valencia corporate management. Like On 26th February 2008 it was with great (Spain). Due to the large amount of work other operations run by the pride that Ford Saarlouis presented the required in the assembly, GALD Saarlouis Group, the injection activity is first Ford Kuga after JOB1 in an official cer- has to assemble this new headliner on a based on a limited set of raw ma- emony at the Saarlouis Ford plant. separate new assembly line, outside the terials, in this case, ingots of pure The car was presented in a special show current production line for the C214 (C- or re-cycled magnesium. room at the Ford facility by Jacques Pol- Max) and C307 (Focus). As a novelty in this project, on ac- lenus (Plant Manager Ford Saarlouis); It has also been necessary to modify the count of the safety requirements Bernhard Mattes (Chief Executive of Ford layout of the storage area due to the new and regulations, new traceability Werke GmbH) and Peter Müller (Minister type of containers for substrates, since operations are being tried out. In of the Government Saarland). they require extra space. this case it is essential to keep in- With this brand new car, Ford of Europe formation on the batch of pro- With a planned production of 300 high enters the ever-more important four- duction from the ingot supplier class headliner modules per day, split in wheel drive market. This Ford Kuga SUV and be able to relate it directly to panoramic and non-panoramic roofs, the comes into direct competition with vehi- the seat back for the Picasso B58 new Kuga is a really important pro- cles like the VW Tiguan, BMW X3 or the sent to G.A. Ardasa. gramme for Grupo Antolin’s JIT plant in OPEL Antara. Saarlouis. In turn, G.A. Ardasa processes the It is based on the C-Car platform and will trace of products sent to G.A. Vigo, The Plant Manager of GALD Saarlouis, be available as a 4x4 Crossover or as a who is also capable of relating each Jörg Geber, would like to take this op- two-wheel drive. The engine for this ve- dispatch order. In this way, Grupo portunity to thank all the people that have hicle will be the well-known 2.0L Duratorq Antolin can link the item sent to taken part in this project for all the support TDCI with 100KW (136PS). PSA with the batch of magnesium and cooperation they have shown over used in the seat back through three The JIT plant in Saarlouis, from Grupo An- the last few months during the launch of different companies. Q tolin Logistik Deutschland GmbH, is re- the Ford Kuga. Q

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JUMp Team Spain Team France Team North America (programme Human resources, CAE and Finance department Management Unification GA-pune Conference)

celebrated The DEOM or Strategic Department for Improvement Operations, has colors day been holding its Programme Man- agement Unification Conference, or On 4th January 2008 took place this cel- JUMP since December 2007. The pur- ebration and on this occasion all teams pose of the Conference is the dis- participated by displaying different col- semination of a scientific methodol- ors for their individual teams. The team ogy that can be applied during the re- colors were planned by the individual search, development and pre-series teams to display the region and clients stages to produce a Robust Concept they work for. for products or services, by means Team Spain participated by using a red of Lean processing, thereby avoid- Team India color as a theme as the red color is a part ing the possibility of inefficiencies and of the Spanish national flag. waste arising from the concept stage, Human resources, CAE and Finance de- and improving the profitability of our Team North America and Team France partment came together to form a joint programmes right from the outset. chose yellow color as a symbol of friend- team for this event and celebrated this ship and sunshine. This transfer of knowledge is being day in green color as a symbol of healthy conducted simultaneously at our of- Team India chose a white color with a environment and care for nature. fices in Detroit and at our Main Office traditional Indian fervor as a symbol of Team Germany won this competition by in Burgos. Its modular nature means Indian traditions. showing colorful presentation and ex- that knowledge can be updated in Team Germany chose a grey color as their hibiting excellent Team Work. specific areas or tools, or the method- tagline was ‘The problem today is not ology applied in its entirety in cer- The activity was planned to motivate the with the atomic energy, rather with the tain programmes or projects with the employees and the team spirit in the or- hearts of the people’, quoted by Albert support of the DEOM. ganization. Einstein. Grey is a combination of white The idea of holding these Confer- and black. This symbolizes the balance As we enjoyed colors day together, we ences simultaneously arises from the between the good and the bad. It is im- also had blood donation camp on 11th support offered by the DEOM to the plied that the use of atomic energy is up January 2008 with 100% employee par- team developing the door function to the people whether for the construc- ticipation and got appreciation from In- from the DONA sector to clients, such tion or the destruction of humanity. dian Serological Institute. Q as Chrysler, that are searching for the qualitative leap forward implied Team Germany in using tools for statistics and quali- ty during the expert and development stages. It is hoped that by so doing ve- hicles can be produced at competitive prices, with the levels of quality de- manded by the final customer,there- by enabling our clients to regain the competitiveness of their products against rivals such as Toyota, Honda or Nissan, who have been using such concepts for decades. Q

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Did you know that...

...Grupo Antolin is Manufacturers, suppliers and associates at the entrance to the GA plant in Vigo the main supplier of Management pliers of component parts for the car in- dustry, and whose objectives focus on headliners for Committee of the definition and development of B2B solutions: EDI, communications, integra- almost 50% of ODETTE España tion, logistics, collaborative engineer- the Volkswagen ing... Grupo Antolin has been a member visits GA-Vigo of this association since its creation, ac- Group’s vehicles tively participating in the various differ- around the world? On 26th February, advantage was taken ent areas, committees, and work teams. of the occasion of the meeting of the On the part of the manufacturers, the Management Committee of ODETTE Es- members of the Management Commit- paña in Vigo to visit the factories of PSA tee attending the visit were: José Citroën Vigo and our own plant, Grupo González Torrico (RENAULT España), ...in 2008 the Antolin-Vigo. Koldo Urabain (MERCEDES Vitoria), VW Group will During the visit to GA-Vigo, the mem- Roberto Eggeling (VW Navarra), Xavier bers of the Management Committee Alonso (NISSAN Barcelona), Manuel make 70 were accompanied by the Managing Di- Luna (FORD España), Luís Manuel rector, José Luís Antolin, with everyone Lozano (PSA Vigo) and José Sánchez different present being extremely impressed with Barceló (OPEL Zaragoza). models for the level of technology, automation and Also attending were representatives process and quality control for the work their seven from supplier companies, and the mem- carried out in our factory. ber associations of this Committee: San- vehicle brands? ODETTE España is an association that is dro Bosch (FICOSA), Greg Schillaci integrated in ANFAC, the national asso- (LEAR), Andrés Chasco (MICHELIN), ciation of car and truck makers, which Miguel Ángel Obregón (SERNAUTO) and Source: Marketing CorpDB brings together manufacturers and sup- Carlos Arozamena (Grupo Antolin). Q

The three centres (the CAD centre, the plant in Ranjangaon and SAp in India the one in Chennai) will also be personalised in accordance with the local tax system, which is one of the most complex in the Since the middle of last November, the SAP team has been im- world, together with that of Brazil, Thailand and China. mersed in a project for implanting our corporate ERP in the plants The team of SAP advisers are being aided by T-Systems as located in India. an external partner for configuring certain new functionalities During its initial stage the project will deal with the managerial needs in our system. In keeping with our planning schedule, we that are most common in our plants. Startup date will coincide should complete this project after Pune’s GO-LIVE, expected with the new tax year,which in this country begins on 1st April 2008. in July 2008. Q

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Saeta 75 truck (around 1962)

Eduardo Barreiros Rodríguez

Fleet of Halcón trucks prepared for sale (1961)

the history corner Marketing Department View of workers at the Barreiros Diesel plant (around 1959) Grupo Antolin

Eduardo Barreiros never sniffed at the prospect of working with Barreiros “foreign companies, but he did automotive group hope to ensure that this would

not be limited to merely Barreiros automotive group represents an exceptional importing and distributing their case in the Spanish car industry and probably in the Spanish economy at the time it was operative because products in Spain. He always it was unmatched in the way it combined the produc- tion of private cars and industrial vehicles by using the tried to get his contracts to benefit of its own technological developments. It went result in an increase in Spanish through a period of spectacular growth and became a major Spanish company that was well known abroad, industrial output due in part to its family set-up, not only at the begin- ning but also even when it rose to importance in association with the American giant Chrysler

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Eduardo Barreiros was born on 24th October 1919 in Gundiás (Orense). From an early age he worked in his father’s bus company, where he was an inspector and mechanic. After the Civil War, he started to rebuild buses and make gas generators.

At the end of the Second World War, in 1945, Barreiros Princess Sofía at the wheel of a SIMCA 1000 being watched by Prince Juan Carlos, embarked on various jobs working on public works con- Eduardo Barreiros and Dorinda Ramos (10th April 1965) tracts in Orense, and founding the company BECOSA. His mechanical interests led him to design and produce special machines to make the work easier. Four years later, tired of the trucks’ high fuel consumption, he transformed two petrol-driven Krupp engines into diesel engines, and then went on to transform other engines, this time working with the Russian 3HC. However, he did not merely go on transforming engines for his industrial trucks, as there were more and more transport hauliers that were asking for these engines that could run on such a small amount of diesel fuel. Due to this growing interest, he felt encouraged in 1954 to register his new company, Barreiros Diesel, S.A., near Madrid, the place where he developed his first EB-6 en- gine, a prototype on which he concentrated all the Dodge Dart knowledge he had acquired in his transformations and which helped him configure a Perkins engine with slight modifications. by the company were really amazing in comparison with those of rival companies. The factory had rolled out a Barreiros then started to build his industrial complex in total of 10,951 industrial vehicles as opposed to the Villaverde, on the outskirts of Madrid, commencing pro- 7,288 built by Pegaso and the 4,099 manufactured by duction for a wide range of industrial vehicles, compo- Sava, even presenting a takeover bid for ENASA, which nents, tractors, private cars, etc. was rejected by the I.N.I. (Instituto Nacional de Indus- Barreiros continued broadening his range of products tria). The excellent progress made by Barreiros forced Pe- and, in 1958 he signed a contract with the English com- gaso to redesign their trucks and look for technological pany David Brown to produce gear boxes, transmissions solutions that were more economical, since Barreiros and conical generators in Spain. One year later the range went through a period selling its vehicles at a cheaper of engines was widened yet again with the EB-150, with price than its rival. 150 horsepower, both for his own and other companies’ The sales crisis together with the financial difficulties the trucks and in 1960 he set up Hanomag-Barreiros to build company was going through finally put an end to the com- tractors together with his German partners. pany’sprofitability and in 1967 the Government authorised In 1961 he presented the Azor and Super Azor, which the takeover of 77% of Barreiros Diesel’scapital by Chrysler. were ranges of large highway trucks with the B24 en- The progressive deterioration of relations between Eduardo gine and could do 100 Km/h on the open road and cost and his family and the American consortium ended with 507,700 pesetas. the final sale of the remaining shares in 1969. In 1964, Barreiros transferred 40% of the capital of Bar- After the changes, Barreiros was kept as the commercial reiros Diesel to its strong American partner, Chrysler Cor- name for quite a few years, even though the factory in poration, who was in a position to support its expansion Villaverde changed its name to Chrysler España, S.A. and underwrite the firm’s large investments. With this Much later, in 1978, the Barreiros changed their name agreement, the company started to manufacture the and started to be known as Dodge, the name previously Dodge Dart and Simca cars, and the Saeta truck. used for their import models. That year, the French Peu- In 1966 Barreiros Chrysler purchased Nazar, a national, geot bought all the installations owned by Chrysler in albeit virtually unknown manufacturer located in Europe, since the giant was rocked by a number of fi- Zaragoza. That same year the financial results presented nancial problems making it draw back to the USA, its

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Barreiros Diesel was a company that based its home country. Peugeot kept up production of its Dodge success on manufacturing products with a trucks for several years, erasing the memory of Barreiros once and for all. good level of quality but, above all, adapting During the 1970s the Galician businessman tried his luck “ to the demands of the Spanish market at that with real estate, and the farming, fishing and mining sectors, but without much fortune. His makings of an time. This was the trump card played by industrialist came to light once again in Cuba in the 1980s in the latter part of his life when he returned to Barreiros against its powerful rival, the state working with heavy engines and created the “Taino”. Eduardo Barreiros died in Havana in 1992. company ENASA, whose Pegaso trucks were In 1981 the enormous factory in Villaverde was divided not only more expensive, but also more up between Peugeot, who used it to produce private cars, and Renault Industrial Vehicles, who purchased in- complicated to drive, maintain and repair stallations for the assembly of their heavy duty vehicles. In 2007 Renault finally ceased production and moved its plant to Leganés. PSA currently manufactures the Cit- roën Pluriel and the 3 and 5-door versions of the Peu- geot 207 and the Cabriole Coupé in Villaverde, The Barreiros car museum” producing a total output of 136,000 vehicles in 2007. Two years ago work started on building the Barreiros Mu- seum in Torrejón de la Calzada (Madrid), not far from Villaverde. It was designed by the architects, Emilio Man- silla and Luís Moreno Muñón. The building is a huge cylin- der measuring 31,600 sq. m, with the main facade covered in crushed compressed vehicles. The use of the re- cycled remains of old cars, with the appearance of huge bricks, seems to be an evocation to the visitor and repre- sents an active attitude towards the recycling process. The first floor contains a permanent exhibition of cars, trac- tors and other items manufactured by Barreiros. The upper floors house temporary displays and conference halls.

Model of the new Automobile Museum

Visit of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia to the Barreiros Diesel plant (16th June 1966)

Barreiros and Grupo Antolin

In the 20th century in the early 1960s, ANSA’s steering ball joints and knuckles were mounted in preliminary units in trucks and tractors manufactured by Barreiros. Likewise, SIMCA and Dodge Dart cars also used these ball joints. The increase in demand forced the Antolin brothers to extend their production plant, installations The Eduardo Barreiros and machinery, which made such a significant contribu- tion to the growth of our Group at that time. Foundation

Thanks to the close collaboration enjoyed by Antolin and Mari Luz Barreiros, the Galician businessman’s daughter, Barreiros hinges were also supplied. An agreement was presides over the foundation that bears her father’s signed with “Pomelerie Electrique”, a French partner, to set name, which was set up in 1998. The main aims of the up a factory making hinges in Burgos. The participation and Foundation are to promote and support research in the technical assistance of this company led to the creation of field of car technology through a number of different FABISA in 1986. Antolin subsequently sold its shares. activities. Q

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“The Senses” Hearing

health Department of Human Resources Medical Department Grupo Antolin Our sense of hearing enables us to perceive sounds, their intensity, tone, pitch, and which direction they come from. Vibrations of sound are perceived by our ears and transmitted to the brain. There are also nerve endings inside the ear that receive information concern- ing the body’s movements, which help us to keep our balance. The human ear is capable of perceiving sound waves in frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz

Noise and work

The human ear is considered to be an organ that can be damaged and noise could be the cause of an illness. Amongst others, the Sonometer (white) The characteristics of noises that most concern us here are the following: and the Dosimeter (grey) are used to FREQUENCY: high-pitched noises are more damaging to the ear than noises from measure the level of a low frequency range. sound in the atmosphere INTENSITY: this is measured in decibels (dB): the greater the intensity of the noise, the greater the risk of injury. PITCH: the harmonics of a sound may make it painful to the ear. RESONANCE: these cause a greater pathological effect by adding new stimuli.

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The regulations concerning noise in the workplace in Spain are contained in Law 37/2003 of 17 November, and further “developed in RD 1513/2005 of 16 December

External Auditory ” Canal Effects of noise on the organism Stapes Incus Semicircular canals Cartilage GENERAL SYMPTOMS: these usually appear during the Malleus Endolymphatic duct

first few days of exposure to the noise in individuals that Auditory are not used to it and have a neurovegetative or psy- nerve chosomatic disorder: increase in blood pressure, diges- Utricle tive disorders, dizzy spells, nauseas, vomiting, attention Vestibular Nerve Hairs Saccule deficit, swings of character, sleep disorders and a general Cochlea feeling of nervousness. Cerumen Cerumen LOCAL DISORDERS: these can cause irreversible bilateral gland Eustachian tube Tympanic deafness in the human hearing apparatus. membrane Oval (eardrum) window

OUTER MIDDLE INNER Occupational hearing loss EAR EAR EAR

This is due to the greater or lesser destruction of the cells Diagram of the ear located in the Organ of Corti, housed inside the cochlea. It is therefore a type of hearing loss involving the cochlea or inner ear. TREATMENT Not everyone will respond in the same way to acoustic Once loss of hearing has started, it becomes irreversible. aggression. The risk of sustaining a lesion increases with However, if the person suffering from this disorder is re- age, particularly after 40, along with the existence of moved from the noisy environment, the hearing thresh- other hearing disorders and, in general terms, all types olds remain unchanged. The only treatment necessary of deafness involving the inner ear. will be of a preventive nature, aimed at preventing any further loss of hearing. In industry, it is a question of avoiding the source of the EVOLUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS noise, reducing it by technical means and, where this is not The onset of loss of hearing is the failure to hear high- possible or proves to be inadequate, individual prophylac- pitched sounds, particularly those in the 4000 Hz fre- tic measures in the form of ear plugs and headphones quency range. This period of the illness is reversible and should be taken. It is important to carry out a periodic con- the maximum loss of hearing does not normally exceed trol in compliance with the law so that the effect on work- 40 dB. ers exposed to noise may be detected early on. The second stage is characterised by a difficulty in un- To evaluate a person’s hearing ability we use the Audio- derstanding a whisper. Audiometric tests show losses of gram, which is a test that determines the auditory thresh- between 45 and 90 dB in the 4000 Hz frequency range, old of a sound for a fixed frequency, by varying the with the adjacent frequencies of 2000 to 8000 Hz also intensity with which it is emitted within a scale ranging starting to show signs of being affected. This state may from -10 to 100 dB. The range of frequencies is between continue for 10 or 15 years. 125 and 8000 Hz. Finally, if the illness continues to progress, it will lead to To assess environmental noise, we have the Sonome- a state of manifest deafness, which is characterised by a ter, which measures levels of acoustic pressure in the subjective loss of hearing, finding normal speech diffi- atmosphere, and the Dosimeter, which is a machine cult, and sometimes accompanied by a buzzing sound, designed for individual use to assess noise in places loss of balance, with audiograms showing up disorders where these levels vary greatly, or where the operator in all frequency ranges from 500 Hz to 8000 Hz. changes location. Q

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ve

en route Puebla (Mexico) The city of the Angels

Colonial houses that seem impervious to the passing of time, temples brimming with religious fervour, handicrafts and confectionery made in keeping with the strictest tra- ditions … Puebla remains unchanged with that street life that is so typical of Mexico. The so-called Angelopolis and nearby Cholula maintain their deep-rooted origins

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One of the 32 states that make up the Republic of Mexico, the state of Puebla is in the Central Meseta. It has a small surface area (34.000 sq. km), and a population of just over 5 million inhabitants. “The capital, Puebla de los Ángeles, is 120 Km from Mexico City

Legend says that Puebla was created by the angels who laid out the city in a fertile valley surrounded by the snow-capped mountains and volcanoes. Legends aside, Puebla de los Ángeles (currently with the appendage "de Zaragoza”) was founded in 1531 for and by the Span- ish on a strategic site between the city of Mexico and the port of Veracruz. Thanks to the Conquistadors, it be- came the second most important city in New Spain, vying for attention with the capital. Angelopolis is a city of impeccable design. Albeit because of its extraordinary urban layout, its cobbled streets thread- ing through the ancient quarter in the city centre, its brightly painted colonial houses, its hundreds of civil and re- ligious buildings, or because of its traditional spirit, Puebla has been considered a Cultural Heritage Site since 1987. In Puebla all roads lead to a monument (there are almost 2,600 listed buildings) and there is no other city in America with so many churches per square mile. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, many religious orders erected temples, convents and monasteries, endowing the city with a more than generous number of monuments for a city of its size.

A tour round the historic city centre will take us to the Puebla cathedral, solemn and Baroque, is one of the most greatly monuments most worth seeing, which are: The cathe- admired monuments in the whole country dral, erected in 1575 by order of King Philip II. It is fa- mous for its towers, which are the highest in Mexico. Behind it is etched the disturbing silhouette of the vol- Volkswagen de Mexico started rolling out cano, Popocatepetl. Next to the cathedral, the stately their exclusive VW New Beetle for the global building of the Casa de la Cultura houses one of the old- est and most valuable collections of books in Mexico. market at their Puebla plant in 1997, along The Palafox library dates back to the 18th century, with “with the Jetta A4. Since then GA Silao has over 40,000 volumes and several incunables.

Another magnificent temple is the church of Santo been manufacturing overhead systems for Domingo with the capilla del Rosario, its opulent these vehicles, delivering them to VW from chapel and a jewel of churrigueresque Baroque art from the 17th century, considered originally to be the eighth the JIT facility in Puebla in sequence wonder of the world. The Municipal Town Hall is one of the most notable examples of buildings dating back to the Neoclassic period of the 19th century. The Teatro the stagnant waters of the River San Francisco and gave Principal is one of the oldest theatres in America, dating their name to the working-class neighbourhood) is an back to the 18th century and still open to the public. absolute must. Today it is closed off to traffic,” and sur- Parián market is the ideal place to buy Puebla craftwork rounded by houses erected in the style typical of the pe- in onyx, Talavera tiles, and typical confectionery. Speak- riod of the Viceroyalty and painted in bright colours with ing of handicrafts, walking along the Callejón de los doorways and wrought iron balconies crammed full of Sapos (or Toad Alley, after the toads that used to live in flowers, revealing an obvious colonial influence.

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Puebla looks like a Botticelli painting, with dozens of tile-clad cupolas and domes glittering “beneath a deep blue sky and towers of various styles competing in beauty against the encroaching snow-capped peaks of the Colonial features and polychrome Popocatepetl volcano (or ‘Popo’ as Tiles brought from Spain tiles lend the architectural style the locals call it, which reaches an The city is famous for its Baroque buildings in red brick, of Puebla its powerful altitude of 5,455 m).The view of grey stone, white stucco and beautiful tiles brought over expression from Spain. The Dominican order of friars issued instruc- the volcano is comparable to the tions for the monks sent over to America from Talavera one seen in Florence. In fact, like de la Reina (Spain) to learn the craft and teach the local people. At the height of the Baroque period, the façades Florence, Puebla has a Renaissance of the colonial mansions, the temples, cloisters, foun- spirit and design. Its ochre and tains and even the monastery kitchens are decorated with striking tiles, giving the city a certain Andalusian at- earthy hues lend the city an mosphere. appearance somewhat akin to the set of a stage production The holy city

The city of Cholula, just 8 km away,was founded in 600 BC by the Toltecs, this being the oldest inhabited city in Mex- ico. It is here that a pyramid was erected in honour of the ” god Quetzalcoatl, with a volume that is four times the size of the famous Keops in Egypt and the highest on the American continent, being one of the greatest monuments erected by Humanity. In fact, it is really several pyramids su- perimposed one on top of another over the course of six centuries. The Spanish erected a church on top of the pyra- mid known as Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Q

The Cholula pyramid is hidden at the foot of a hill with a Christian temple on top

The eighth wonder. Façade of the church of Santo Domingo

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