Vossloh

Vossloh AG
Type Aktiengesellschaft
Traded as FWBVOS
Industry Railway systems engineering
Founded 1888
Founder(s) Eduard Vossloh
Headquarters Werdohl, Germany
Key people Werner Andree (CEO and chairman of the management board), Wilfried Kaiser (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Products Rail switches (points), fasteners; manufacture of diesel locomotives and suburban trains; electrical systems for light rail vehicles
Revenue €1.351 billion (2010)[1]
Operating income €152.1 million (2010)[1]
Profit €97.5 million (2010)[1]
Total assets €1.406 billion (end 2010)[1]
Total equity €580.0 million (end 2010)[1]
Employees 4,980 (average, 2010)[1]
Website www.vossloh.com

Vossloh AG is a German transport technology manufacturer based in the Westphalian town of Werdohl. The group has 4,700 employees (as of 2009), and generated sales of €1.2 billion, of which approximately 60% came from the rail infrastructure division, and the remainder from the motive power and components division. The company is included in the MDAX index.

The rail infrastructure division's key products are the devices (clamping terminals) for fastening the rail to the railway sleepers (railroad ties), railroad switches and switch controllers. The Motive Power Division and Components provides diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic locomotives, metros, trams and electrical components for road and rail.

The main market for the group is Europe, with over three quarters of sales. In 2007 fifteen percent of sales were to the Americas, mainly North and Central America, one percent of sales to Oceania, and the remainder of sales were about equally divided between Africa, and the Near and Far East.[2]

Contents

History

In 1883 Eduard Vossloh submitted a bid to the Royal Prussian Railway for the manufacture of spring washers for rail fasteners and was granted the commission. On 11 July 1888 the Eduard Vossloh Company was registered. Spring washers and other hardware items were manufactured at the family's blacksmiths shop. Through the early 1900s the company continued to grow, producing general hardware including decorative items and lampholders for electric lights.[4]

In 1945 the facilities in Werdohl were destroyed by a bomb. Subsidiaries marketing lampholders which are located in Kalingrad, Wroclaw and East Germany ceased to be part of the company due to the changes in political borders at that time.[4]

In 1946 production of holders for fluorescent tubes was allowed to take place at a plant in Lüdenscheid, by 1962 an additional plant for lighting products had opened in Selm and the Vossloh works employed 1300 people, with 500 more employed in subsidiaries. In 1966 the company obtained a license to produce a new tension clamp rail fastening developed by Prof. Hermann Meier director of the Deutsche Bundesbahn.[4][5]

Recession in Germany in the 1980s resulted in the closure of two plants and employee lay-offs reducing the staff by almost half. Management was brought in from outside the Vossloh family, and Schwabe GmbH acquired; its lighting ballast products complementing Vossloh's lighting fittings product range, and on 1 December 1989 Vossloh-Werke GmbH became a public stock company or Aktiengesellschaft (AG). At this time there were three company divisions : Vossloh-Werke GmbH (Werdohl) (railway components e.g. tension clamps), Vossloh-Schwabe GmbH (Urbach) (electrical lighting products and components), and Hansa Metallwarengesellschaft mbH Thiessen & Hager (decorative products, sunblinds).[4][5]

In the 1990s the reuninfication of Germany resulted, and new markets in eastern Europe resulted in additional demand for its rail fastening products on the former Deutsche Reichsbahn and elsewhere. Hoesch Maschinenfabrik Deutschland GmbH and W. Hegenscheidt GmbH manufacturers of railway wheelset machining equipment were acquired in the mid 1990s. In 1997 the company was first listed on the MDAX. In 1998 railway switch manufacturing company VAE group was acquired by Voestalpine AG and Vossloh.[4][5]

However recession in the 1990s resulted in the sale of the non-'recession-resilient' decorative products division to Arquati S.p.a of Italy in 1997. Under company CEO Burkhard Schuchmann Vossloh was re-orientated as a rail industry based company during and after the 1990s; In 2002 the lighting division was sold to Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. of Osaka, Japan in 2002.[4][5][6] and the company expanded into the rail industry market with a number of acquisitions:[4]

At the end of 2005 Burkard Schuchmann is succeeded by Dr. Gerhard Eschenröder as CEO until 2007 when Werner Andree replaces him. The subsidiarie, Vossloh Information Technologies GmbH was sold (Feb. 2007) to Funkwerk AG. The company continued to expand; its first acquisition in North America was Pohl Corp (switch manufacturer), followed by Cleveland Track Material Inc., both acquired in 2007. A 100% stake in French rail infrastructure company (ETF) was also obtained in 2007. The same year the company opened a rail fastening subsidiary in China.[4]

In 2008 Vossloh infrastructure services is sold to the VINCI group of companies - this included the infrastructure parts of Cogifer SA acquired in 2002 as well as Européenne de Travaux Ferroviaires SA.[4][7]

Further railroad switch manufacturers were acquired :TLK Rail (Australia) in 2007, Sportek (Denmark) and Kloos Oving B.V. (Netherlands) in 2008, and the switch and rail manufacturing parts of the Nouva Sima Sud company (Italy) in 2009.[4]

In 2009 the company enters the rail services market in Germany, forming Vossloh Rail Services GmbH from the rail maintenance parts of Stahlberg-Roensch Group in addition to LOG Logistikgesellschaft Gleisbau mbH and ISB Instandhaltungssysteme Bahn GmbH.[4]

Company structure

As of 2010 the company is divided into two main divisions.[8]

The rail infrastructure division comprises the rail fastening and switch companies (Vossloh Fasyening Systems GmbH and Vossloh Cogifer SA), and from 2009 a rail services (maintenance) company Vossloh Rail Services GmbH.

The Transportation division (formerly Motive Power and Components[9]) comprising Vossloh Locomotives GmbH, Vossloh España S.A., and Vossloh Kiepe GmbH

Vossloh Fastening Systems

The fastening systems division produces devices for attaching rails to sleepers for high speed, heavy and light railways. The division includes Vossloh Fastening Systems GmbH (Werdohl Germany), Delkor Rail Pty. Ltd. (Australia),[10] Patil Vossloh Rail Systems Pvt. Ltd. (joint venture with Patil Group of India), Vossloh Sistemi s.r.l. (Italy), TOO "Vossloh-Kaz" (Russia), Vossloh Utenzilija d.d. (Croatia), Vossloh Skamo Sp. z o.o. (Poland), Vossloh Tehnika Feroviara S.R.L. (Romania), Vossloh Drázni Technica s.r.o. (Czech Republic), Vossloh Rail Technology Limitet Sirketi (Turkey), Feder-7 GmbH (Hungary) and Vossloh Fastening Systems America Corporation (Chicago, USA).[11]

Vossloh Cogifer

Vossloh Cogifer SA produces railway switches as well as railway signalling systems.[12] The rail switch group also includes the subsidiaries Vossloh Nordic Switch systems AB (Sweden), KIHN (Luxembourg), Vossloh Track Material Inc. (Wilmington USA) and Cleveland Track Material Inc. (Cleveland USA) and Vossloh Cogifer Australia Pty., as well as two joint ventures: Corus Cogifer Switches and Crossings[13] (Scunthorpe, UK) and Amurrio Ferrocarril y Equipos SA (Spain).[14]

Vossloh Locomotives

Vossloh Locomotives GmbH, the former MaK locomotive plant in Kiel produces diesel hydraulic locomotives, for freight and shunting purposes.[15]

The factory's main production up to 2009 was diesel hydraulic locomotives of type Vossloh G1000 BB , Vossloh G1206, Vossloh G1700 BB and Vossloh G2000 BB. The company's major orders included G1206/1700 variants for the French (SNCF Class BB 61000[16]) and Swiss railways (SBB Am 843[17]).

A three axle shunting locomotive, type Vossloh G6 was introduced in 2008, in 2009 the company announced to the intention to offer diesel electric or diesel hydraulic variant of four axle centre cab locomotives in two power ranges: G 12 or DE 12 and G 18 or DE 18[18] (approximately corresponding to the power ranges of the G1206 and G1700 versions.)

Vossloh Rail Vehicles

Vossloh Rail Vehicles (formerly Vossloh España S.A.), the former Alstom owned Meinfesa plant produces diesel electric locomotives as well as passenger multiple units, trams and bogies.[19]

The company's locomotive output has included the SNCF BB 460000[20] (in cooperation with Alstom) and Vossloh Euro locomotives.

In 2010 the company launched a new locomotive type: the diesel electric Eurolight locomotive, designed for railways requiring axleloads less than 20t, and with either 2.3 or 2.8MW installed engine power.[21]

Vossloh Kiepe

Vossloh Kiepe GmbH produces electrical systems for light rail, trolleybuses and hybrid buses including electric propulsion and control, air conditioning and heating as well as passenger rail vehicle refurbishment and modernisation.[22]

Vossloh Rail Services

Vossloh Rail Services provides railway track infrastructure maintenance such as rail grinding, welding, replacement and testing.[23] The division was formed in 2010 with the acquisition of parts of the Stahlberg-Roensch Group and Logistikgesellschaft Gleisbau mbH and Instandhaltungssysteme Bahn GmbH from the Contrack Group.[24]

Spin-offs and subsidiaries

In 2000 Vossloh and Angel Trains formed a locomotive leasing business - Locomotion Partners consisting of two companies:

The companies would not exclusively hire and service only Vossloh locomotives, and would act independently, depending on the circumstances.[25] In 2004 the 10% stake in Locomotion capital Ltd. was sold and the stake in Locomotion Service GmbH increased to 100%.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Annual Report 2010". Vossloh. http://www.vossloh.com/media/downloads/pdfs/annual_stockholders_meeting/Vossloh_Geschaeftsbericht_2010_US.pdf. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  2. ^ Annual Report 2007
  3. ^ System 300 Rail fastening systems for slab track www.vossloh-fastening-systems.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Vossloh group history , www.vossloh.com
  5. ^ a b c d Vossloh AG , company history via www.fundinguniverse.com
  6. ^ Vossloh to focus on transport technology, Complete disposal of Lighting division planned 10 April 2002 , www.vossloh.com
  7. ^ VINCI : 2008 , www.vinci.com
  8. ^ Vossol : Divisions , www.vossloh.com
  9. ^ Vossloh annual report 2009 , p.89 , www.vossloh.com
  10. ^ Delkorail www.delkorail.com
  11. ^ Vossloh fastening systems : Locations www.vossloh-fastening-systems.de
  12. ^ Vossloh Cogifer www.vossloh-cogifer.com
  13. ^ Corus Cogifer www.coruscogifer.com
  14. ^ Vossloh annual report 2009 , p.156 , www.vossloh.com
  15. ^ Vossloh Locomotives www.vossloh-locomotives.com
  16. ^ Les BB 61000 Vossloh ferrovi-est.ifrance.com
  17. ^ Major award for Vossloh Schienenfahrzeugtechnik GmbH from the Swiss railways (SBB) , 10 July 2002 , www.vossloh.com
  18. ^ Vossloh position paper 2009 , pp.16-17 , www.vossloh.com
  19. ^ Vossloh Rail Vehicles www.vossloh-espana.com
  20. ^ Shunting Diesel-Electric Locomotives GA 1000 AS www.vossloh-espana.com
  21. ^ "Vossloh launches Euro Light loco.(News)". elibrary.ibtimes.com. International Railway Journal. 1 July 2010. http://elibrary.ibtimes.com/article-1G1-232740714/vossloh-launches-euro-light.htm. 
  22. ^ Vossloh Kiepe www.vossloh-kiepe.com
  23. ^ Vossloh Rail Services www.vossloh-rail-services.com
  24. ^ "Vossloh closes acquisition of rail services business" (Press release). Vossloh. 2 May 2010. http://www.vossloh.com/cms/en/press/press_releases/press_release_details_3472.html. 
  25. ^ 07/14/2000 Angel Trains announces the creation of Locomotion Capital in association with German group Vossloh Vossloh.com

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