| REHAU,
Inc. showcases Cullman plant to Chamber tour group |
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When a Mercedes M-Class Sport Utility Vehicle rolls off the assembly line
at Vance, Alabama, the first thing out the door is most likely a bumper
produced in Cullman County. In fact, the first part of the M-Class to roll
out the door in Mercedes' plant in Graz, Austria, may also be the result of
Cullman County handiwork. Specializing in injection-molded bumpers and other automotive parts, REHAU, Inc.'s Cullman County plant is one of the top suppliers for Mercedes-Benz, Ford and many other automotive industry giants in the United States and overseas. Recently, plant manager Albert von Pelser-Berensberg and Human Resources Manager Brad Baggett treated Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce guests, which included Cullman County Industrial Development Board members, to a tour of the 450,000 square-foot manufacturing facility located in Cullman's Industrial Complex. |
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| "There is a high demand for efficiency," plant manager von Pelser stated in an accent that would have done Cullman County's German founder Col. John G. Cullman proud. "We're state-of-the-art and able to compete with our sister plants in Germany. People from Cullman County put effort into it and achieved this." | ||
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Efficiency is certainly essential at REHAU. During the course of two major
expansions, the plant was enlarged and reorganized within to achieve a
higher degree of efficiency ... and with very good cause. Mercedes
penalizes their suppliers between $30,000 and $100,000 per hour for
shutting down their assembly line, leaving REHAU little room for error. "We target expected production six months ahead or one month ahead ... but we don't actually know the color and all the variables until we actually receive the order, which is usually 200 minutes prior to the unit being built in Vance," von Pelser said. "The Cullman-made bumpers are usually in the European plant in Austria six weeks after the order is placed." |
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| Factor in 200 possible bumpers - 12 different colors and 16 bumper variants - and 90-plus minutes of driving to reach the Vance plant and the margin for error is practically nil. Considering Mercedes' reputation for quality and the high standards expected of the company's suppliers, it is no small thing that the company asked REHAU to build a plant in Alabama to supply their Vance operation. | ||
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Touring the near-immaculate facility,
it is evident that even the smallest of details is taken into
consideration. Many Chamber members remarked upon the cleanliness and the
high degree of professionalism exhibited in the plant. |
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| REHAU's Cullman plant employs 410 workers and has been highly successful since announcing in 1995. In addition to their two prior expansions, the company is in the process of a $5 million expansion to prepare for the Mercedes M-Class model changes. The current expansion will improve the overall efficiency of the operation, concentrating on the inspection and paint line areas. According to plant officials, better lighting and additional space will help insure the highest quality product. | ||
| "Quality
requires precision and precision is the key," von Pelser said. The Cullman REHAU facility received one of the automotive industry's highest honors recently when the Ford Motor Co. awarded the plant its prestigious Q1 Certification, which recognizes companies in terms of quality performance and output. "The Q1 flag, like other achievements at REHAU, came from teamwork," von Pelser said. "I am proud of our workforce and their commitment to quality." The Cullman REHAU plant is one of 39 manufacturing plants and 81 offices in 28 countries worldwide. The company was founded in Rehau, Germany, in 1948. |
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REHAU is a leader
in polymer extrusion and the manufacture of polymer-based products,
producing more than 40,000 different component parts. |
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