Harman expands its Center for Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

 Harman opened the second stage of its Center for Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, with which they promote the design of products and the launching of environmental and testing laboratories of new technologies created from Queretaro.

Daniel Jonas, senior vice-president of Harman world operations, underlined the benefits of this space, considered as fundamental in the growth of the company subsidiary of the Korean Samsung.

“We are adding capabilities we did not have available in Mexico, in Queretaro.  This building means the expansion of our skills AME (Advanced Manufacturing Engineering,) we will also have environmental laboratories and testing laboratories and warehouse for three plants.  It is not only about expanding the current capability, but to attract skills to Queretaro and Mexico that require a more advanced technical level,” he said during the opening event.  The expansion includes 11,000 square meters of construction, 3,500 of them intended to validation and testing laboratories (environmental, or interference, thermal shock, dust exposure, U rays, etc.) while 2,500 square meters are occupied by the advanced engineering pilot factory.  The rest is addressed to the warehouse.

In an interview, Ivan Baez, senior director of operations and Plant Manager of Harman, talked about the development model implemented with this new expansion.

“Here we have projected for 300 people to work there.  We have a hiring scheme, the Harman Experience event, where we bring a different university every day, either from Queretaro or the neighboring area, in order for students learn about the operation and wish to enter into Harman.  We began with the interns' scheme and from there we will develop similar to Harman, and then we give them permanent jobs, once they graduate from the university.”

The types of professionals required by the company are diverse, they range from engineering in mechatronic, industry, mechanic and electronics, to administration career and international commerce.

The first stage of this center was opened in January of this year and had an investment of 228 million pesos.  The expansion, reported the Ministry of Sustainable Development of Queretaro, was of almost 12 million dollars.

Harman was settled in this entity in 2011 and it currently has two plants, a Center of Design and recently expanded Center for Advanced Manufacturing Engineering.

GROWTH

This expansion is included in the growth plan projected by the company with headquarters in Connecticut, United States, for the next 5 years.  Daniel Jonas said that Harman reported “historic” sales in 2018.

“Last year we broke the record with 8 billion dollars, we have projected 9 billion dollars for 2019 and reaching 10 billion dollars for 2020.”

The objective shared the vice-president of operations, is to reach 20 billion dollars for 2025.

“We anticipate this growth comes from our automotive business divisions, mainly.  To reach this goal we have to show our customers an operative capability and level of excellence, not only operative excellence, which we already accomplished, but be much more efficient in costs management, that part is fundamental,” he held.

According to data from INEGI, from January to April 2019, the sales value in transportation equipment manufacturing in Queretaro amounted 28,639,071 pesos, almost 9 % more than the same period last year, while the production value of these products, during the first 4 months of 2019, reported in 29,321,540 pesos, which represent 10 % more than in the same months last year.

Harman performs in this auto-parts production market since it designs products and solutions in sound systems, entertainment, browsing and connectivity for automobile manufacturers like Audi, BMW, GM, KIA, and Ford.  They currently produce cards and electronic components to fulfill the assembly; 90 % of the final product is exported.

“It is thanks to these engineering centers and the work we do in the country, that today we can say that within the global context in which Harman International works, we are from Mexico and for the entire world a key element in new technologies development.  It is through our manufacturing capability that we are increasingly important in the globalized environment,” underlined Miguel Hernandez, the national president of Harman de Mexico.  The company employs 6,000 people in the country, as here is located the operation base for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.