LISI 2012
55
EXPERT’S
VIEW
- How do you see the positioning of an equipment
manufacturer like LISI AUTOMOTIVE on the
automotive MARKET?
The market for the equipment manufactu-
rers remains extremely wide because it calls on
numerous competencies. Furthermore, it covers
entities of very differing sizes. On the market
segment in which LISI AUTOMOTIVE is involved,
namely threaded fasteners, clipped solutions and
mechanical safety components, the group, ranked
6
th
worldwide, undeniably constitutes one of the
principal players. Furthermore, the group has been
able to forge a sizeable place with the principal
European manufacturers, including the main
German OEMs and premiumOEMs (including BMW,
Daimler, and AUDI, etc.). These developments have
been made through internal developments, but
also on the basis of acquisition opportunities such
as the acquisition of Knipping (2005), accelerating
the presence of LISI AUTOMOTIVE with the German
OEMs.
-What are the key success factors of LISI AUTOMOTIVE
for achieving its strategic objectives?
Adaptation and flexibility are probably the
source of the success of the group in a competitive
environment, with customers who maintain heavy
pressure on prices amongst other things. The route
to salvation is the achievement of productivity gains
at the price of an industrial organization which is
constantly changing. Organization of the group
into Business Units, implementation of adaptation
(closure and transfers of plants, etc.), and optimiza-
tion plans (screw fastener plan, etc.) and constantly
seeking opportunities, LISI AUTOMOTIVE manages
to impose itself and to resist in a downward cycle
period.
- How do you see the automotive market for the next
4 to 5 years?
Difficult to be an oracle, especially on a market
which can turn rapidly and which is furthermore
characterized by contrasting changes in different
geographical zones. The profession is an agreement
in expecting weak growth worldwide in automo-
bile production in 2013 of approximately + 1%,
with Europe remaining the poor relation with a
new fall of -4%/-5% expected. In the medium term,
worldwide growth should return but with a signi-
ficant downward reduction of objectives in compa-
rison with previous estimates. Hence, the current
estimates of automotive production in Europe are
approximately 12% below the previous projections,
with a market which, between now and 2016, is
likely to remain at a volume below the previous
high point achieved in 2007. In this context, LISI
AUTOMOTIVE is likely to again demonstrate its
capacity for adaptation and flexibility to produce
new productivity gains.
questions asked to
Jean-François Granjon
analyst at ODDO
