THE WORLD’S largest producer of automotive seats, Lear Corporation, has reconfirmed its confidence in Port Elizabeth. Lear has moved its multi-million rand investment seat assembly plant from Markman to the Neave industrial area. “This move is a real vote of confidence in the future of the motor industry in Port Elizabeth, the Eastern Cape and South Africa as a whole,” says Lear South Africa Managing Director Jurgen Kostanjevec. Lear is a 13.6 billion-dollar net sales a year global corporation, which produces a wide range of components to most of the world’s top motor manufacturers. In addition to being the largest single producer of vehicle seats, Lear is the second-biggest supplier of headliners; third in door panels, electrical and electronic distribution systems, flooring and acoustic systems; and number six in instrument panels. The move puts Lear Port Elizabeth in a strong position to expand its business, according to plant manager Willem Maré. “We have a highly skilled workforce who have moved with us. The new facility is designed to give us much more flexibility as we are closer to our main customer, and it is more convenient to our employees because of the public transport. This has put us in a better position to work as a three-shift operation.” The move took place in record time during the annual Christmas shutdown. “Our customers rely on us to provide quality seats and components on a just-in-time basis. We are proud to say that there has been no disruption in our deliveries and quality due to the move,” he says. A breakthrough into the export market would create up to 120 jobs, in addition to the 158 people already working for Lear in Port Elizabeth. Lear Port Elizabeth currently produces 40 000 seat sets a year. It also cuts cloth seat components for Lear plants in East London and Brits outside Pretoria. The cloth is cut on a computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutting machine, which is currently operated on three shifts. The Port Elizabeth plant’s biggest customer is the Delta Motor Corporation, which set up a joint venture with Delphi in 1995 to cut, sew and assemble both cloth and leather seats for both the local and export markets. In 1998, Delphi sold this business to the Lear Corporation, which is the sixth-fastest-growing company on the Fortune 500 list based on revenue over the past ten years. In South Africa, Lear owns four seat plants in Brits, Rosslyn, East London and Port Elizabeth. The Port Elizabeth plant manufactures seat sets for the Corsa, Astra and Isuzu ranges, and cut kits for Audi, BMW, the export and local versions of the Mercedes Benz C-class, the Mercedes R170 and the Colt bakkie range. “Lear has given us a tremendous technological advantage,” says Maré. “The Port Elizabeth plant has a strong European backing. This has enabled us to develop seats especially for the South African market. Our designers and technical teams have worked with the Delta styling department to smooth the design of the seats, which are built to the highest quality standards.” The new assembly facility is geared to meet international standards, and is also designed to supply the local OEM’s on a just-in-time basis. “We work on a short lead time from the Delta plants in Struandale and Kempston Road. Just-in-time means we assemble a seat, deliver and it is fitted to the vehicle within two hours of an order being placed by Delta,” he says. The new assembly plant has been designed to meet the tough quality and environmental standards. “ We are currently QS 9000 approved and we are aiming for both the new TS16949 quality certification, and for the ISO 14001 environmental certification by the end of 2002. This is a requirement for the export market and will ensure that we remain competitive locally,” says Maré. He is confident that the plant will meet this because of the continued focus on quality, customer satisfaction and the high standard of the people at Lear Port Elizabeth. “Many have been with us since the factory first opened. They are among the most experienced teams in South Africa.” Lear strongly drives the “Six Sigma” programme, and here again the Port Elizabeth plant is at an advantage, he says. “We have used only our best employees in the group for this program, who all focus on continuous improvement, quality and customer service. “Everything is in place for growth,” he says. Background information: Lear Corporation, a Fortune 150 Company headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, USA, focuses on automotive interior systems and is the world's fifth-largest automotive supplier. Net sales in 2001 were $13.6 billion. The Company's world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by over 100,000 employees in more than 300 facilities located in 33 countries. More information about Lear and its products is available on the internet at www.lear.com