Sparking success BRISK Tábor

sparking success

BRISK Tábor is a leading European spark plug and sensor manufacturer. What started as a small factory back in 1935 has become a major supplier to global carmakers with steadily increasing market share. In line with its new projects, the company is preparing for further investment. Romana Moares reports.

BRISK Tábor is a 100 per cent Czech joint-stock company that is continuing the tradition of its predecessor established some 80 years ago. Today, being one of the six largest spark plug producers worldwide, the company’ s position in the European as well as global markets is strong and continues to improve.

Brisk’s product portfolio includes spark plugs for cars, garden machines, aircraft and marine engines, car sensors, spark electrodes for gas appliances and technical ceramics. As a result of major investment in new technologies and increased capacity the company has become a trusted supplier to major carmakers with a growing global aftermarket share. Brisk has received many prestigious awards both in the domestic and export markets, including the Leading Edge Award (The Best Supplier of the VW Group), Exporter of the Year, Gentleman Pro and many others.

The company achieved three particularly important milestone in Brisk’s history: entering the Russian market in 1996; creating its own product research and development base to serve all its markets; and the start of development and production of car sensors around 20 years ago.

Spark plugs and sensors

Currently, about 35 per cent of total turnover is generated by the sensor division, which has achieved year-on-year growth of 25-30 per cent in the last five years. 99 per cent of the sensors are shipped directly to the production lines of carmakers such as VW, Škoda, Audi, Seat, Bentley, Volvo, Tatra, Zetor and others. “The sensors are always developed in close partnership with customers, so they reflect future car models, or common platforms of several models,” explains Mojmír Čapka, the Chairman of the Board and the owner of Brisk. “We signed several very important contracts in the first quarter of 2017, guaranteeing for us sensor deliveries for the next ten years,” he adds.

She further explains that the spark plug business line is slightly different as these are high-turnover spare parts, which may get replaced several times during a car’s service life - this fact alone determines its biggest use in the aftermarket. The company delivers the spark plugs to factories of global carmakers and garden technology manufacturers (OEM), as well as to their original equipment supplier (OES) networks and global independent aftermarket (IAM).

Ready for the next generation

“The development of new engines is strongly affected by environmental requirements, leading to changes in the spark plug specifications as well. They must be smaller and of a different shape, resistant to much higher temperatures and pressures and their ceramics must have enhanced properties. Engine manufacturers require the spark plugs to have a longer service life, which requires a modified design and use of precious metals such as platinum and iridium for electrodes. All these are already reflected in our product development,” Mr Čapka.

In terms of traditional combustion engines the attribute that is currently being monitored is enhanced combustion and more efficient fuel use to reduce emission of harmful substances. To address this issue, Brisk developed in 2014 the Brisk Premium Evo, a new line of spark plugs with a unique, patented technology. Mr Čapka says: “We are ready to embrace the challenge of the new hybrid engines as well as electrical engines and hydrogen driven engine. Hybrid and electrical engines will still require both spark plugs and sensors. Therefore, we see the new trends in engine development as a great challenge as well as a promising potential for Brisk.

“The product development and testing benefits from our collaboration with motor racing teams around the world. Technical information and measurements carried out during races, when our spark plugs must perform in the most demanding of circumstances, are important for further research, development and improvement.” Prospective Russia

Brisk’s current production facility in the Czech Republic, employs over 600 people and has an annual capacity of 50 million of spark plugs and 5 million sensors. As a result of new technical requirements, new projects and increasing volumes, the capacity has been gradually increased on an annual basis. In 2017, three new automated Flex lines for spark plug assembly have been installed, designed and erected by in-house engineers. “We have been investing in new technologies and projects with a fast return on an on-going basis and will continue to do so,” says Mr Čapka.

A milestone investment has been the new plant opened in Russia in 2016, at a cost so far of five million euros. With an annual capacity of five million units this plant has now reached its limits and the company plans to commission an extension, increasing annual production capacity to 9-10 million spark plugs. The largest customer for the plant is the company’s long term partner, Avtovaz, a member of the Renault Nissan alliance, which opens the door for Brisk to participate in the alliance’s global projects.

“The Russian automotive industry has a huge potential. There is another large investment considered in Russia, namely in a new line for the production of sensors for the same customer (and other carmakers in Russia), planned to be implemented in 2019,” says Mr Čapka.

Increasing market share

About 96 per cent of Brisk’s production is sold in export markets in 77 countries on all five continents. A key market remains Russia, where Brisk each year exports about 20 million of spark plugs and has a 20 per cent (and increasing) market share. However, the company strives to strengthen the Brisk brand in other parts of the world too. “The markets where we have a stable performance such as the US, South America, Europe, the former states of the Russian Federation, the Middle East, Australia and north and central Africa are each year supplemented by new opportunities in countries such as Mauritius, Zimbabwe or Botswana. In 2017 we have signed contracts for shipments to Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and China” says Mr Čapka.

He explains that the management sets clear and well defined goals for each year and is focused, together with all the company’s staff, on securing long-term prosperity and a stable position amongst the leading world suppliers to the automotive and garden machinery sectors. “We work intensively to promote the Brisk brand worldwide and to increase our market share in key territories. We are also actively preparing for the Industry 4.0 era and for the connectivity of technology and information systems. Brisk is thus well prepared to meet the challenges of the future.” n