[May 23, 2017] |
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Annual financial results 2016; Bosch continues to develop North American business
Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, concluded
its 2016 fiscal year with $13.7 billion (12.3 billion euros) in
consolidated sales in North America. Sales for Bosch in the region
dropped slightly from 2015's record-breaking level of $14 billion. Sales
in the North American region represent 17 percent of the Bosch Group's
2016 sales. The number of associates employed throughout the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico in 2016 reached nearly 32,800, a
year-over-year increase of more than 5 percent. This number is expected
to increase slightly in 2017.
"North America is a key market for Bosch, and we remain committed to
innovation and success," said Mike Mansuetti, president of Robert Bosch
LLC. "With the Internet of Things continuing to bring new opportunities,
Bosch's diversified portfolio of products and services is a competitive
advantage." Based on the results of the first quarter, the company
expects a positive business development in 2017.
Continued investments in North America
Focused on growing operations throughout the region, Bosch invested
nearly $450 million in 2016. Of significance were investments in Bosch's
facilities in Charleston and Anderson, South Carolina; sites in
Aguascalientes, Juarez and San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and Bosch's Research
and Technology Center in Pittsburgh and the technical
center in Plymouth, Michigan.
Bosch also invested in startups. Earlier this year, the Bosch in-house
startup Mayfield Robotics debuted Kuri,
its first commercial home robot, to much praise. The nearly
20-inch-tall robot moves about a home, interacting with parents and
children differently via facial recognition. Kuri also plays music,
livestreams video when away from home, investigates uncommon sounds,
chirps affectionately when tapped on the head and conveys moods with
colorful lights.
In addition, Bosch partnered with 1871, a technology incubator in
Chicago, to launch the Chicago
Connectory, an IoT co-creation space, earlier this month. Bosch is
investing nearly $2 million to launch the Chicago Connectory, at which
startup organizations, corporations and universities will collaborate
through membership, programming and strategic partnerships to create IoT
solutions and business models.
Transformation across Bosch business sectors
Bosch is shaping transformation across its four sectors - Mobility
Solutions, Consumer Goods, Industrial Technology, and Energy and
Building Technology. This means connecting traditionally offline home
appliances via the IoT, and driving innovation in automated vehicle
technology, personal home robots, and a variety of other areas to
improve daily life now and in the future.
Bosch Mobility Solutions focuses on automated, connected and
electrified
Bosch's Mobility Solutions business sector drove $9.2 billion in
regional sales. To address the growing need for automated, electrified
and connected technologies, Bosch combines innovative hardware, software
and services.
With vehicles continuing to become personal assistants, Bosch sees the
important role that connected
car technologies will play in the years to come. By 2025, connected
assistance systems could help save 210,000 accidents resulting in
injuries, 4,000 lives and $3.6 billion in damage costs in the U.S.
alone, according to a study commissioned by Bosch. There are other
benefits, as well: Highly automated driving could free up hours for
commuters, and connected parking solutions could save millions of miles
spent driving around looking for parking.
Bosch recently announced that it is working
with Daimler to advance fully automated and driverless vehicles for
city streets. The goal is to launch a system that allows vehicles to
drive completely autonomously by the start of the next decade.
Beyond automobiles, the Mobility Solutions business sector is also
focused on developing technologies for off-highway applications,
two-wheelers, shipping, rail transportation and more.
Bosch Consumer Goods continues to introduce connected products
Sales for the Consumer Goods business sector in North America remained
on par with 2015, with $2.4 billion in sales generated. "Continued
innovation is a cornerstone of Bosch, which is why we're always bringing
new technologies to market," said Mansuetti. "For example, we announced
earlier this year that Bosch Home Appliances will launch Wi-Fi-enabled
appliances that can be controlled through our Home
Connect app as well as with Amazon's intelligent personal assistant,
Alexa."
The Power Tools division, part of the Consumer Goods sector, performed
well in 2016. Earlier this year, Bosch introduced the CORE18V
battery, which provides greater power and performance without
compromising size or weight. In addition, PRO+GUARD™
dust solutions were released to help users meet strict new OSHA
requirements for worker exposure to respirable silica dust. Also, the
new multi-function MeasureOn
app enables architects, painters, real estate agents, electricians
and others to document and manage site measurements and floor plans all
in one place.
Industrial Technology sector innovates products both big and small
The Industrial Technology business sector reported $1.3 billion in
sales, despite a continuously difficult market environment. Bosch
Rexroth, which is one of the world's leading suppliers in drive and
control technology, offers customized drive, control and actuator
solutions for factory automation systems, construction and engineering,
mobile machinery and commercial vehicles, and is increasingly developing
solutions for connected manufacturing (Industry 4.0). No job is too big;
case in point, Bosch Rexroth recently supplied 158 hydraulic power units
for the expansion
of the Panama Canal.
Bosch Packaging Technology launched new
cookie and confectionery packaging systems in 2016, due to strong
industry demand. Food manufacturers benefit from faster production, the
ability to change pack styles quickly to drive greater visibility at the
point-of-sale as well as from a shorter return on investment.
Additionally, these solutions allow for layout flexibility and
scalability, enabling manufacturers to easily expand their production
capacity or increase the level of automation from entry level, hand-fed
machines, to fully automated solutions.
Security Systems and Thermotechnology help Energy and Building
Technology sector increase sales
The Energy and Building Technology business sector reported sales
growth, with regional sales of $800 million in 2016. Bosch Security
Systems achieved growth in 2016 driven in part by the success of its
network-based security surveillance camera portfolio and its intrusion
detection systems. The division also introduced IoT-enabled solutions
that integrate security and communications technologies to enhance
facility control and ease of use.
In addition, Bosch Security Systems announced a partnership
with Sony Corp., introducing a technical cooperation that aims to
set new standards for high-resolution video surveillance imaging. As
part of the agreement, Sony sales and marketing associates have joined
the Bosch organization, forming a dedicated team responsible for
servicing customers of Sony video security products.
From Bosch Thermotechnology, the Greentherm
9000-series tankless water heater, available in the U.S. later this
year, is the "embodiment of innovation in the Energy and Building
Technology sector," said Mansuetti. "This award-winning tankless water
heater is remarkably efficient, reliable and easy to install, not to
mention state-of-the-art with Wi-Fi connectivity via the free mobile
app."
Bosch supporting corporate citizenship with grants and volunteers
Bosch has a strong commitment to giving back to the community - both in
grants and donations, as well as time. Between 2012 and 2016, the
company's U.S.-based foundation, the Bosch Community Fund, has awarded
more than $13.8 million to organizations and educational institutions in
the U.S. The Bosch Community Fund, which focuses on promoting STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) and environmental
initiatives, provided $3.8 million in grants to organizations in 33
communities in 2016 alone.
In addition, Bosch associates in North America volunteer tens of
thousands of hours to benefit community organizations, notably FIRST
Robotics and other STEM programs. The Bosch Builds program enables Bosch
associates at several locations to use eight working hours each year to
volunteer in the community with certain non-profit organizations.
Bosch Group: Strategy and business outlook for 2017
For 2017, in light of a subdued economic outlook and geopolitical
uncertainty, Bosch aims to achieve sales growth of between three and
five percent. And despite still heavy upfront investments in
safeguarding the company's future, the results are set to rise.
"Business success today gives us the leeway to shape tomorrow's world,"
said Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Bosch board of management. "As
an innovation leader, we are shaping and driving transformation," Denner
added. The focal points of this transformation are changes in the mobility
sphere and IoT
connectivity. By 2020, all Bosch's new electronic products will
feature connectivity. The key to this is artificial
intelligence (AI). Over the next five years, Bosch will be investing
300 million euros in its own center for artificial intelligence.
About Bosch
Having established a regional presence in 1906 in North America, the
Bosch Group employs nearly 32,800 associates in more than 100 locations,
as of December 31, 2016. In 2016 Bosch generated consolidated sales of
$13.7 billion in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. For more information,
visit www.boschusa.com,
www.bosch.com.mx
and www.bosch.ca.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and
services. The company employs roughly 390,000 associates worldwide (as
of December 31, 2016) and generated sales of 73.1 billion euros ($80.9
billion) in 2016. Its operations are divided into four business sectors:
Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy
and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers
innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility,
and connected industry. It uses its expertise in sensor technology,
software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its
customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The
Bosch Group's strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected
life, and to improve quality of life worldwide with products and
services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch
creates technology that is "Invented for life." The Bosch Group
comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and
regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service
partners, Bosch's global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network
covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company's
future growth is its innovative strength. At 120 locations across the
globe, Bosch employs 59,000 associates in research and development.
Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com,
www.bosch-press.com,
http://twitter.com/BoschPresse.
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = $1.1069
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170523005186/en/
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