Insights into the Schnellecke Group TRIP TO ITALY Visiting Schnellecke in Atessa and Bologna START IN BREMEN New site supplies Mercedes DEDICATION TO E-MOBILITY How Schnellecke in Glauchau is mastering the changeover he Baghdad battery is a clay pot ompared to other batteries, found in 1936 during the exca- lithium-ion batteries have the vations of a Parthian settlement highest energy density. Almost on the site of the Khujut Rabuah all batteries used in electric Thill near Baghdad. Since it contains a C vehicles use cobalt oxide as their copper cylinder and an iron rod, it is cathode material. This type of battery speculated that it could have served as a is called a lithium polymer battery. Its battery 2000 years ago, when electricity cells are hermetically sealed, making was still unknown according to current it operational from minus 20° to plus knowledge. 60° Celsius. 4 | 5 2019.2 2019.2 Dear Readers, The start of production of Volkswagen’s first high-volume fully electric vehicle, the ID.3, in No- vember 2019 in Zwickau marked the start of a new SCHNELLECKE era. Not only for Volkswagen and for car drivers, SCHNELLECKE but also for logistics partners like Schnellecke. This is why we are particularly proud to have been part of it in Zwickau from the very beginning. We have invested considerably in this. During the factory conversion at Volkswagen, we further qualified many of our employees through training COVER STORY: programs. Thanks to this long-term personnel de- ELECTROMOBILITY velopment, our well-prepared team was ready at the start of production to make our contribution PAGE 6 to the success of electro-mobility. Find out more in COMMITMENT TO this issue. E-MOBILITY Long-term planning are also the keywords for another project: We have been working in Mexico How Schnellecke in Glauchau for the newly opened BMW plant in San Luis Potosí is mastering the changeover since the summer of 2019. On the occasion of the official opening, Schnellecke started supporting an important local vocational school in order to provide young people in the region with a good vo- cational education. You can read more about this later in this issue. PAGE 12 PAGE 38 The merger of Peugeot/Citroen (PSA) and BELLA ITALIA A RADIATOR Fiat Chrysler (FCA) will create the world' s fourth- EVERY MINUTE largest automotive group. However, only industry Schnellecke works insiders know that both companies have been for Lamborghini and Schnellecke in Bremen working together on the production of commercial Fiat in Italy vehicles for a long time, namely in a joint venture called Sevel. Schnellecke has been working for FCA for a year and supplies the Sevel production line in Atessa, Italy, with parts just in sequence. We will also be reporting on that in this issue, as well as on the Bologna site, where Schnellecke has been handling the entire plant logistics for Lamborghini for many years. I hope you enjoy reading our magazine. PAGE 50 PAGE 56 Best regards, MOTIVATION, “NO EMPLOYEE ENTHUSIASM AND ACTUALLY ENJOYS TEAM SPIRIT DOING THAT” Nikolaus Külps Schnellecke wins A pilot project with CEO Schnellecke Group logistics contract a compartment for first BMW factory insertion robot is in Mexico currently underway in Soltau 6 | 7 2019.2 2019.2 SCHNELLECKE SCHNELLECKE “WE WORKED TOGETHER ON A FUTURE-ORIENTED SOLUTION” SCHNELLECKE IS INVOLVED IN THE LAUNCH OF THE ID.3 IN SAXONY – MAJOR CHALLENGES Managing Director Ralph Hoyer (l.) and Chairwoman of the Works Council Elke Merkel in conversation with employees COVER STORY: ELECTROMOBILITY 8 | 9 Volkswagen Plan Zwickau 2019.2 2019.2 It is a grey Novem- ber morning as we drive onto the premises of Schnel- lecke Logistics Saxony in Glauchau. SCHNELLECKE On first sight there is noth- SCHNELLECKE ing to suggest that anything special is hap- pening here – as it did nearby just a few days ago, be- cause the first production version of the new ID.3 elec- tric car rolled off the production line at Volkswa- gen’s Zwickau plant on Novem- ber 4, 2019. An event that had a major impact on SLS. n November 2017, VW made the strategic is currently still being carried out at Schnel- decision to develop the VW plant in Zwick- lecke, also ends with the end of combustion au into a multi-brand site for e-mobility. engine vehicle production. In future, axles According to Group Planning, Zwickau is and drive trains for the electric vehicles will Ito become the competence center for e-mo- be assembled by a VW company. bility within the Group and the largest and There is currently a lot of activity in most efficient e-mobility site in the Group’s the entire region, as SLS Managing Director worldwide production network. From 2021, Ralph Hoyer reports. “Like us, some ser- around 330,000 electric vehicles per year vice providers already have contracts for are to be produced in Zwickau. the production of electric vehicles. They The conversion of production is taking are looking for new premises or qualified place in two phases. The first production employees. And this in a market that has line for electric vehicles was converted in already been drained dry.” 2019. Vehicles with combustion engines will There is indeed virtually no unem- continue to be built on the second assembly ployment in the region around Glauchau. line. From summer 2020, this line will also “Jobseekers usually find a job here within be converted. a week,” Hoyer says. And this is a problem This will have drastic implications for for companies, because the Volkswagen Schnellecke Logistics Saxony (SLS), which plant will be running at full speed again in ensures the plant supply of VW with about two years, and a lot of new workers will be 800 employees in Glauchau and Zwickau, for needed. “Demographics also play a very im- if fewer vehicles are produced, the number portant role here,” Hoyer stresses. “The age of necessary logistics services will also de- structure of the workforce will continue to crease. The order for axle assembly, which get older.” COVER STORY: ELECTROMOBILITY 10 | 11 2019.2 2019.2 The “SLS Future” program SCHNELLECKE So this was the perspective that Manage- SCHNELLECKE ment and the SLS Works Council were facing in 2017. “Our first question was of course: What do we do with our employees who are not needed during the conversion phase?” Hoyer says. The typical reaction in such a case would have been to let go of the employ- ees whose jobs were no longer needed. However, Schnellecke went a different way. “Together we have initiated a process that is geared towards site development and job safeguarding in the company,” says Works Council Chairwoman Elke Merkel. The primary goals of the expansion of innova- tion competence and the maintaining of competitiveness, job security and socially responsible employment models, as well as the further development of the company as an attractive employer were laid down in a process agreement. “SLS Future” is the name of the pro- gram signed by Management and Works Council in October 2017. It includes compa- rarily needed employees to process peak orders. Finding an educational institution with the ap- ny agreements on site and job security, on We suspended the employment contracts here and propriate capacities was not at all easy. After all, innovation concepts, on holiday planning, gave a re-employment guarantee. And finally, we Volkswagen employees also had to be requalified and on the personnel concept. Immediately took on additional orders from a company that was for the production of electric vehicles. This meant after the agreement was signed, negotia- still looking for a building and worked on our prem- that the VW training center was unavailable since tions were started with the Federal Employ- ises in the meantime. That was all a lot of work and it was fully booked. However, thanks to the timely ment Agency on the qualification opportu- is only possible if you maintain networks.” planning, Schnellecke was able to find a partner for nities available to employees when their old Nevertheless, we maintained our goal of re- achieving its goals in the Fortbildungsakademie der jobs ceased to exist. When Volkswagen shut taining all employees if possible, including those Wirtschaft (FAW – Further Training Academy for down the first assembly line for the con- with temporary contracts. “Instead of just three as Business). version in 2019, people in Glauchau were before, Volkswagen will produce six models here The concept was presented to the employees prepared. in future,” explains Hoyer. “The variety of parts at an employees meeting. They were offered a will therefore increase. In 2021, around 300,000 qualification concept in five modules. Anyone who vehicles are to be produced at the plant again. For has successfully completed all five modules can One of the largest qualification this we will need good and qualified employees.” then take their examination to become a specialist packages in the region And they are currently being trained. “With warehouse clerk at the IHK. a volume of over two million euros, our measure “Of course, we had a surplus of person- is one of the largest qualification packages of the nel,” Hoyer remembers. “First of all, we Federal Employment Agency in Zwickau,” empha- New inspiration for employees no longer used any temporary workers. sizes Elke Merkel. “We were the first supplier here Then we compensated for some things with in the region to conclude a qualification agree- We meet Peter Leeb and Jonny Wagner, who are clever holiday planning. We temporarily ment with the Federal Employment Agency. Other among the first sixty participants of the further ‘loaned’ employees to other sites and coop- service providers initially sat it out, implemented training program.