Seeking new partners TS Tech

SEEKING NEW PARTNERS

Automotive seating expert TS Tech UK is in the process of expanding its customer base across Europe, with the aim of capitalising on its extensive experience as the sole seating supplier to Honda UK. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to director David Stone to find out more.

TS Tech UK is the UK arm of global automotive seating manufacturing giant TS Tech. Based in Japan, TS Tech is a key supplier to Honda worldwide, providing high-quality, technically advanced front and rear seating for all its models. Established in Japan in 1960, TS Tech’s multinational locations include Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, the USA, Canada, Mexico, India and Germany, with TS Tech UK located in Swindon.

TS Tech UK’s director, David Stone, told Industry Europe how the company’s UK hub fits within the global group. He said, “We are the UK subsidiary of TS Tech and we have access to the group’s extensive design and development capabilities, not to mention its incredible global network. As the sole seating supplier to Honda UK, we are currently only engaged with Honda, but we are eager to expand and certainly have the experience and the facilities to do so.”

TS Tech builds front and rear seating for all three of Honda UK’s automotive models – the Civic, CRV and Jazz. This means that all Honda vehicles manufactured in the UK have seating by TS Tech installed. Mr Stone continued, “We manufacture the front and rear seats as a complete kit, ready to be installed at Honda’s UK plants. Our relationship with Honda has grown steadily over the years as we have continued to prove ourselves as a flexible, reliable supplier.”

Flexible and reliable

It is precisely this capability as a ‘flexible, reliable supplier’ that TS Tech UK is keen to bring to a wider audience. The global recession brought with it the realisation that being largely dependent on one customer is not ideal even though Honda’s UK production is now recovering towards pre-recession levels. Mr Stone explained, “Our volume peaked in 2007 as Honda’s production peaked – to approximately 237,000 vehicles in one year. 2008 was not so different, but 2009 saw a significant drop, by well over 50 per cent. We are now going in the right direction, but we appreciate that we are not fulfilling our total capacity potential and that is where we are focused.”

Until now, TS Tech UK has been limited by Honda’s UK vehicle production. This has, however, meant that the company has developed an impressively flexible approach to car seating manufacture, with efficient modifications of its shift patterns and the ability to react quickly to changing demands.

Mr Stone said, “We are ready to bring this flexibility to other customers, while still maintaining our excellent relationship with Honda. We are actually capable of doubling our current production levels, so even though Honda is currently going through a volume increase and we are responding to that increase in demand, we can also service new contracts.”

Mr Stone continued, “We are already in communication with some European OEMs to meet their automotive seating manufacture requirements. Seating takes quite a long time in the development stages as it is such a key component to a vehicle. We are looking at long-term relationships with new customers so that we are both able to take advantage.”

Greener seating

In terms of ecological understanding, TS Tech is well aware of the weight impact that seating has on a vehicle, and as such is able to implement weight-reducing measures while retain-

ing the highest possible quality seating that complies with all European standards. The company is also promoting its sustainability credentials by sourcing as locally as possible in order to reduce shipping costs. Its sourcing strategy is no longer focused on overseas, particularly Japan as it was previously, with its aim now to purchase in Europe, and ideally the UK, wherever possible.

At the beginning of September TS Tech commenced its production of Honda’s new CRV. The upgraded vehicle will be available in dealerships later in 2012, so TS Tech is expecting to ramp up its activities considerably during this period. Mr Stone also explained that this increase in production is welcome as, following the joint Asian disasters of the tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand, Honda’s production had been badly affected, which in turn impacted on Honda in the UK and TS Tech.

Mr Stone concluded, “Historically we’ve only worked with Honda in the UK, but as we appreciate the limitations of that we are eager to source new customers. We have recently opened a new office in Germany which gives us a greater presence in Europe and we are in talks with a few OEMs. We will continue to specialise in automotive seating manufacture as this is what we know best and what we do best – we will also continue to meet Honda’s needs in the UK as our role with them is paramount to our continued success. But what 2013 will also bring is new partnerships with automotive clients across Europe that can benefit from our flexibility and reliability as a forward-thinking seating manufacturer with fresh ideas.” n