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Press Release
ContiTech
Benecke-Kaliko
Benecke-Kaliko: 10 Years of Success in China
 German–Chinese joint venture Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim is one of the leading
companies for motor vehicle surface materials in China
 Partner of choice for automotive manufacturers and highly sought-after government
advisor
 Joint venture set to expand
 Partners to celebrate the 10th anniversary on May 20–21 in Zhangjiagang
Hanover/Zhangjiagang, May 20, 2015. Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim (Zhangjiagang) and its
partners celebrated ten years since the founding of the joint venture. Together with the employees,
customers, partners, and local politicians, they celebrated a success story – one that looks set to
continue for a long time.
For the past ten years, the Continental ContiTech business unit Benecke-Kaliko and its partner
company, the Jiangsu Changshun Group, have been writing their own German–Chinese success
story. "We can look back in pride on what we have achieved together and on our long and amiable
partnership, which is the basis of our current outstanding market position for high-quality, lowemission vehicle interior materials in China. We intend to continue strengthening this position,"
says Dr. Dirk Leiß, Chairman of the Executive Board of Benecke-Kaliko AG. "As one of the world's
leading manufacturers, it is our goal to be wherever our customers need us – and this is a promise
that we have kept for the past decade now. This country is one of our key global markets and, as
such, a cornerstone of our economic success. The deep-rooted trust of our customers and
partners in industry, trade, and research encourages us each and every day to further strengthen
our long-term commitment to China."
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-2The company currently operates two production and development locations in China. Today in
Zhangjiagang, where Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim was founded in 2005 and which was the first
location, 450 employees work on the manufacture of foils for automotive interiors exclusively for
the Chinese market. "Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim is one of the leading chemistry companies,
which focuses on eco-friendly products and innovative technology. In cooperation with the
Continental Corporation, the joint venture not only gains the advanced technology to produce highquality products, but is also able to pursue market trends and provide a fast response to the market.
This is a very crucial factor to success," says Dr. Renfa Gu, Chairman of Jiangsu Changshun
Group.
At the end of 2015, operations will commence at the new plant in Changzhou, where up to 250
employees will produce Acella Eco in the future. This cover material for car seats, door panels, and
consoles is a top-seller in China. Acella features particularly low emissions and non-allergenic
properties. This has generated so much customer interest that Benecke-Kaliko has spent around
€40 million on the construction of a second plant in China. This is the biggest investment in the
company's history and part of the ongoing expansion strategy on the Asian market.
Local expertise and development, sustainable production
"This new plant is our response to the very high demand for our products and solutions on the
Chinese automotive market," says Benecke-Changshun general manager Uwe Wüst. Automotive
manufacturers in China are increasingly demanding motor vehicle interior materials that are both
high-quality and eco-friendly. In this way, automotive manufacturers are not only heeding the
wishes of car buyers but also complying with the Chinese government's objective of improving air
quality inside vehicles. "As a specialist in low-emission surface materials, we are now also
contributing our knowledge in an advisory role to the country's government. For example, we are
helping to define standardized methods for measuring air quality in automotive interiors," says
Wüst. The aim here is to avoid health impacts from solvents or synthetic materials. "BeneckeKaliko is an international pioneer in low-emission interiors that are safe for human health. We are
currently the supplier on the local market whose materials can completely meet the strict legal
requirements, meaning that we are doing our bit to ensure that the air inside China's cars is
healthy," says Wüst.
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-3Benecke-Kaliko utilizes its global development knowledge and worldwide market presence to
optimally serve individual customer needs with local designs over short transport routes. Thanks to
this local expertise and uniform material and process standards, Chinese customers receive the
same product, engineering, and service quality as customers on every other continent. "For the
past ten years, our customers in China have benefited from the fact that we invest sustainably in
innovation and quality," says Leiß. Sustainably particularly in relation to the production conditions.
"This is because our understanding of a future-oriented commitment involves not only producing
eco-friendly products but also, and above all, engaging in energy-saving and environmentally
friendly production. This means the greatest possible level of protection for people, the air, and
water. This benefits us as a company, our employees, and the local population where we are
based. It also benefits our business customers and partners."
Equally strong is Benecke-Kaliko's commitment to acting as a fair and responsible employer
promoting the best-possible working conditions at all international locations. This includes not only
investing in training and promoting young talent but also implementing industrial safety and health
management measures.
All these factors are what make Benecke-Kaliko so successful in the field of automotive interior
foils. In 2014, the company employed more than 2,250 people in development and production at its
six locations worldwide, most of them in the four plants in Zhangjiagang (China), San Luis Potosí
(Mexico), Hanover, and Eislingen (both Germany). On November 1, 2014, Benecke-Kaliko
acquired two plants run by the Belgian Mecaseat Group in Pamplona (Spain) and Wągrowiec
(Poland) with almost 140 employees. Sales last year amounted to €469 million.
10 years of Benecke-Changshun – milestones of a success story
2005: Benecke-Kaliko and Jiangsu Changshun found the joint venture Benecke-Changshun Auto
Trim. Construction begins on the Zhangjiagang plant.
2006: Start of production in Zhangjiagang.
2008: Benecke-Changshun becomes one of the leading manufacturers of PVC foam laminates in
China.
2009: The Zhangjiagang plant expands production to include PVC composites.
2010: The Zhangjiagang plant produces more than three million square meters of cover materials.
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-42011: Benecke-Changshun is the first company in China to use water-based lacquers in the
production of surface materials.
2012: Establishment of the Technology Center which further develops production processes and
products for the Chinese market.
2012: Benecke-Changshun is certified as a state-level enterprise.
2013: Benecke-Changshun achieves several invention patents: automotive interior materials
manufacturing process, automotive interior leather with titanium dioxide pigment color paste
preparation method, special PVC formulation of interior.
2013: Awarded the prize for the best material innovation by the world-renowned online platform
Gasgoo.
2014: Start of mass production of TPO foils in Zhangjiagang. The annual capacity of the plant now
stands at ten million square meters of compact foil and foam laminates (Tepeo) and eleven million
square meters of PVC materials (Acella Eco).
2014: The "Technology Center" in Zhangjiagang receives an award from Jiangsu Province in the
"Foreign Research Center" category.
2014: The Auto & Parts magazine presents Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim with the Chinese
"Environmental Production Award" in Shanghai for the environmentally friendly cover material
Acella Eco green.
2015: Construction begins on the new plant in Changzhou, for which Benecke-Kaliko and Jiangsu
Changshun found the joint venture Benecke-Changshun Eco Trim Co., Ltd. In the first stage of
expansion, up to 250 employees in Changzhou can produce ten million square meters of PVC
surface materials for motor vehicle interiors every year.
2015: The Design Center is opened in the Zhangjiagang plant, which is designed to support
customers initially in China and Korea and later customers from the entire ASEAN region
(Australia, India, Japan, etc.).
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-5CT BK 10 anniversary ceremony Benecke Changshun.jpg
Proud oft the achievements and the cooperation in the past decade: Lianghua Zhang
(Deputy General Manager Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim), Uwe Wüst (General Manager
Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim), Dongfang Bian (Vice Mayor Zhiangjiagang), Dr. Renfa Gu
(Chairman Jiangsu Changshun Group).
Foto:ContiTech
CT BK 10 qualitiy products Benecke Changshun.jpg
For ten years now Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim convinces customers with products of highest
quality.
CT BK Signing Benecke Changshun Auto Trim.jpg
Signing of the contract in 2005: Benecke-Kaliko and Jiangsu Changshun found the joint venture
Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim (from left): Dr. Renfa Gu (Chairman, Jiangsu Changshun Group),
Dr. Dirk Leiß (Chairman of the Executive Board of Benecke-Kaliko AG).
Photo: ContiTech
CT BK Groundbreaking Zhangjiagang.jpg
Groundbreaking ceremony kicking off construction of the plant for the
Benecke-Changshun Auto Trim joint venture in Zhangjiagang.
Photo: ContiTech
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Antje Lewe, phone: +49 511 938-1304
04
-6Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner,
the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe,
comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated preliminary sales of
approximately €34.5 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tires, and
ContiTech. Continental currently employs approximately 200,000 people in 53 countries. Continental
commenced its business in China in 1994 and has established a successful partnership with all major
customers in China. So far, Continental has expanded its presence in 25 production locations and 15 R&D
centers, representing a workforce of over 23,000 employees in the country. Continental offers marketspecific solutions to the Chinese market with all of the corporation's five divisions.
The ContiTech division is one of the world's leading suppliers of technical elastomer products and is a
specialist in plastics technology. It develops and produces functional parts, components, and systems for
machine and plant engineering, mining, the automotive industry, and other important industries. Together
with U.S. company Veyance Technologies Inc., which was acquired at the beginning of 2015, ContiTech
generated sales of approximately €5.4 billion (pro forma basis) in 2014 and currently employs approximately
41,000 people in 34 countries worldwide.
Contact for journalists
Antje Lewe
Spokeswoman
Head of Media & Public Relations
ContiTech AG
Phone: +49 511 938-1304
Cell phone: +49 160 4767260
E-mail: [email protected]
www.contitech.de
Kerstin Porsiel-Voges
Head of Communications
Benecke-Kaliko Group
ContiTech AG
Phone: +49 511 938-1121
E-mail: [email protected]
www.contitech.de
This press release is available in the following languages: German, English, Chinese
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Your contact:
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