Automotive segment - Winning Group

We strategically combine the very best of our technological heritage with a modern, fresh style of management. We make the most of the fact that we are living at a time which is seeking and setting the direction. Therefore, we supply a significant part of our portfolio’s products for electromobility. This is because we know that our activities go hand in hand with sustainability and responsibility for the environment.

We are not afraid to say that we feel confident that we are doing the right thing; our visions are long-term. With each new acquisition we are strengthening and increasing the appeal of our engineering portfolio, which we believe has great growth potential.

Is the German leader in the development and production of precision forged parts for (electric) cars and trucks and industrial applications.

Our clients include Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Renault, Daimler, MAN, Scania, CNH-IVECO, CAT, and Volvo Construction Equipment.

Case studies

Acquisition of Winning BLW

By entering the automotive segment, we have expanded our activities on a level which we believe has not only economic, but also environmental potential. Nowadays, the development trend is set mostly by electromobility and so through Winning BLW we can help to determine the future. We now supply more than 10% of our products for electric cars and we are constantly developing new technologies.

Our entry into the automotive segment broadened our activities into a dimension in which we expect not only economic, but also environmental potential. Electro-mobility determines the direction of all current development, and Winning BLW allows us to put our imprint on the future. Already over 10% of our current products are designated for electric cars, and we are constantly developing new technologies.

We have taken an active leadership role and strengthened management with the addition of a key figure, Christopher Guhe. With his many years of experience in the field, he brings a fresh outlook and modern management style with minimized centralization of responsibilities, and also an open door to shareholder dialogue. We also rejuvenated the cadre of top engineers and were able to save most jobs.

The three Winning BLW production facilities in Duisburg, Munich and Remscheid generate more than €200 million in annual turnover and employ over 1000 people.

This focus upon strengthening the foundations gave rise to our joint venture with EP Industries, a.s., thus forming Winning Automotive a.s. This allows us to continue our development in the automotive sector through new acquisitions in related industries, Winning Group’s prospects notwithstanding. “I am sure that together we will become a leader in the European market in the upcoming years,” says Sebastian P. Wagner, CEO and chairman of the board of Winning Group a.s.

Development of a new WE Drive

It is no coincidence that Brno is again becoming one of the centres for the development of the engineering segment. And this is primarily due to the engineering team at Winning Steel, which is working on its concept for a hybrid transmission.

Brno has become one of the centers of development for the engineering division, and it is not just a coincidence. The team of engineers at Winning Steel, working on their hybrid transmission concept, has been the key.

It is the connection with Winning Group and especially the technical savvy of General Director Sebastian Wagner that has made possible the development of this unique technology. Support from management and especially mutual trust inspired the developers in the introduction of their brainchild into the segment of medium-sized trucks and suburban buses. This electromechanical hybrid is ideologically connected to its related sector of precision forged components within Winning BLW, and significantly strengthens the position of WG in the automotive market.

Keeping an eye on the future is the key. “The hybrid transmission technology can be further developed and broadened. A driver doesn’t have to sit in the vehicle as he does today; this technology is the ideal basis not only for adaptive cruise control, but also for autonomous operation. The philosophy of real electromobility can be seen in the development of hybrid transmissions”. This stems from the Brno team’s conviction that so-called pure electromobility is particularly applicable to passenger cars. Their initial focus on the professional truck sector is mainly based on the awareness of the physical limit of the battery. For that reason, they combine the internal combustion engine with the electrical section, and also ensure full automatization. The system functions independently of the operator, and that in turn reduces fuel consumption and minimizes emissions as well.

“At present, we already have a Czech patent in hand and we’ve also already submitted the application for an international patent. Our concept is now protected, and looking at it from the most ambitious perspective, we would not just stand by to support a large cooperation partner, but also we ourselves would become manufacturers of our own solutions. WG’s portfolio of precision gear components means that this vision is not unrealistic.”