Shanghai GKN Drive Shaft Co., Ltd. Business Report FY ended Dec. 2014

Financial Target

-Shanghai GKN Drive System Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of GKN, reported sales of CNY 700 million for the month of January 2015, achieving a double-digit growth rate on a year-over-year basis. In 2015, Shanghai GKN Drive System Co., Ltd. aims to increase its annual sales to CNY 9 billion and boost production and sales of constant velocity driveshafts to 22 million units. (From news releases issued by multiple sources on March 1, 2015)

Off the Production Line

-Shanghai GKN Drive System Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of GKN, announced that its Kangqiao Plant has produced over 18 million universal joint drive shafts since January 2014. The company held a ceremony to celebrate this milestone on December 18, 2014. (From a press release on December 22, 2014)

Awards

-GKN Sinter Metals Danyang Ltd., a subsidiary of GKN, announced that it has been presented with Schaeffler’s ‘Best Technical Cooperation’ Award. (From a press release on May 9, 2014)

-GKN Sinter Metals Danyang Ltd., a subsidiary of GKN, announced that it has received the following awards during 2013:
・The Excellent Quality Award from Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Dalian) Co., Ltd.
・2013 GETRAG CEO Special Award and Zero PPM Award from GETRAG (Jiangxi) Transmission Co., Ltd.
・The Excellent Quality Award from Tianjin Tanhas Technology Co., Ltd.
(From a press release on January 28, 2014)

R&D Facilities

-GKN has a Technical Center in its Shanghai plant, equipped with a full range of driveshaft test equipments, which is the forth R&D center of GKN worldwide. The company has already acquired the government’s approval for the facility’s new testing laboratory.

Investment in China

-Shanghai GKN Drive System Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of GKN, announced that it will add automated coating equipment to its drive shaft production line in Pudong, Shanghai. The company will invest CNY 5.8 million to install spray coating equipment, cleaning equipment, and drying equipment that will be able to process over 800,000 sets of drive shafts per year. (From news releases issued by multiple sources on November 21, 2014)

-GKN Powder Metallurgy has signaled its commitment to the Chinese market with the expansion of its production facilities in both Danyang and Yizheng in Jiangsu Province. GKN is investing GBP 8.7 million to build a new facility at its Danyang site which will cover an area of 20,000 square meters when construction completes in September 2015. The existing Danyang facility, established in March 2006, produces highly engineered powder metallurgy parts primarily for automotive engines and transmissions. GKN Powder Metallurgy's new facility in Yizheng, which had its ground breaking in 2012, has now been officially opened. It produces small precision parts mainly for automotive applications in engines and body and chassis. By the end of 2014 about 80 people will be employed at the site. (From a press release on October 8, 2014)