OUR FOCUS IS TO CREATE SUPERIOR VALUE, DRIVEN BY DESIGN AND ENGINEERING ROLL-FORMING FOR SAFER, STRONGER AND LIGHTER CARS

por | Jun 3, 2022 | Uncategorized | 0 Comentarios

«THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR PEOPLE» Pat Sullivan
In these facilities we are focused to the manufacture of parts with highly specialized processes such as roll forming, for parts as roof rail, structural crossmembers and energy management products. In plastic injection such as, door carriers, aprons and energy absorber. As well as bending, assembly, gluing and welding processes for aluminum extrusion profiles. One of our most important processes is the rolling of profiles with Advanced High Strength steels, being able to

Global leader in the manufacture of high-strength steel and aluminum structural products and plastic injection components for the automotive sector, SHAPE CORP. MEXICO began operations in our country in 2010 and is located in the Querétaro Industrial Park.

With experience of over 48 years since its inception in Grand Haven, MI. their experience defines them for excellence in design and engineering innovation for the manufacture of applied solutions on impact energy management and light weight, with state-of-the-art technology for the production of stronger and safer cars.

To find out more about the company’s activity, we spoke in an interview with Mr. Patrick Sullivan, General Director of Shape Corp. Mexico, “We are definitely leaders in the engineering and manufacture of components that make up the structure of today’s automobiles. At SHAPE we produce components that are specific solutions to meet the highest safety standards. SHAPE steel profiles are designed with the most innovative engineering in the industry and are not part of a catalog; each component is the result of the highest engineering to make cars stronger and safer, according to the requirements of each client and for specific applications.

process up to 1700 Mpa materials; capacity in which we were pioneers and that to date very few companies can perform. For this we have 6 roll forming lines, 35 fully automated welding cells with robots for welding (MIG and laser), precision cutting (plasma and laser), 2 and 3 axis bending, for very critical specifications; 30 plastic injection machines from 120 to 3 thousand tons of capacity, with the possibility of processing two different materials at the same time (dual shot molding).

We are currently working at 60% of the plant’s total installed capacity and we have room to grow the operation. Towards the end of this year, 2022, the forecast sales level of around 85 million dollars is projected and we have a very detailed growth plan for the next 3 years, with a goal to double growth. Basically, sales around 160 million dollars are projected towards the end of 2025. With all this opening by the USMCA, at SHAPE CORP we see Mexico as a great business opportunity for the automotive sector. Every day we see more and more companies expanding their operations or moving production lines from the United States or other countries of Asia to Mexico and we want to be part of that growth.

For vehicle manufacturers and their technology partners, the Automotive Trends challenge the sector to a

transition on an unprecedented scale, creating a whole new generation of possibilities for the manufacturing industry to produce lighter and more powerful impact resistance components”.

SHAPE identified this transformation from the beginning in order to always be one step ahead and respond to the technological demands of its customers, who are the main car manufacturers. “The trend towards electrification opens up many opportunities for us in developing light weighting to improve battery life, which is a key aspect for electric vehicles.

Our main customers are NISSAN, FORD, GM, TOYOTA, HONDA, VW and we are starting the first project with AUDI in Mexico, we also supply products for some Tier1 companies such as BROSE and VIBRACUSTIC”.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
They have 14 production plants on three continents, local Engineering Support Centers in the United States, Mexico, France, the Czech Republic, India, China, Thailand and Japan, and three state-of-the-art Technical Centers in Grand Haven, Michigan, where the corporate offices are located, Pune, India and Kunshan, China. “We are a global company operating locally to provide an immediate response to all our clients. We offer the same quality of products in all our facilities. Being close to our customers is a great advantage and that is why we want to be present where our customers are”.
MAIN CHALLANGE
“Like almost all companies during the pandemic in 2020, we had to stop the operation, but even so, we closed the year with very good financial results. Later, in 2021 with the shortage of semiconductors, we believed that the operation would be affected and although we suffered some ups and downs, in general in this plant in Mexico had a very good performance and we closed the year very well. As of today, in this 2022 with several new projects we see an excellent result by the end of the year.

The main challenge is to maintain the level of production, while we face the impact of the increase in prices of raw materials. The situation of global logistics, freight costs, affects the supply chain and that impacts the operation, since our raw material are imported because the quality of steel we use is not yet produced in Mexico.»

“THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR PEOPLE”
“Labor availability can be a problem for many companies, but at SHAPE we are very fortunate because we have very low turnover.

Although we consider ourselves an engineering company, we know that the key to our success is our people, which is why we are very focused as an organization on developing our people. We make sure that we really offer a good work environment where you enjoy coming every day, encouraging our people by providing them with opportunities to further develop their careers.

We have a very well-structured Human Resources department that works with each collaborator to offer them their individual development plan that is aligned not only with the needs of the company, but also with their own vision to help them get where they want to go. This is how they decide to add additional value to their work and commit to the company’s values.

We are proud on what we call “Our Family Culture” because we spend so much time together, very often spend more time here at the plant than with our families, which is why we create an environment where people feel appreciated, encouraged, and feel like they can make a difference. We treat each person with great respect and have core values which we operate under, to perform not only our work, but also to build commitments with our teams, so we all come to be successful”.

THE LEADER´S OPINION
“To be a good leader you have to be able to build teams, to know how to listen to people and receive the contribution of each member of the team. Build trust, so people feel comfortable and can trust their leader. Help your team to solve problems and succeed.
A good leader establishes and communicates the vision to the team so everyone works towards a common goal. For this, the key is to develop good communication”.