Author: edzwonkiewicz

We are extremely excited to share that TI Fluid Systems has adopted a new look and feel to better reflect the business as it stands today.

For several years, our brand has distinguished us as a global leader in automotive fluid systems technology. However, in the same way that our products have evolved over time, so too must our brand, with our new identity better reflecting our position in today’s automotive sector, and speaking to the exciting future that lies ahead of us.

The most prominent feature of our brand, our logo, will not change. We have made changes to our colour palette and typeface. Check out some of the changes here.

As you can see, the main colour of our new brand is blue, which has actually been present in the TI Fluid Systems colour palette for several years, and is accompanied by two new secondary colours. One of these is cool turquoise, a colour that reflects the company’s innovation, flexibility, and fluidity, alongside warm orange, representing energy, scale, and speed. We believe this set of colours symbolises the characteristics that make TI Fluid Systems a leading figure within the automotive fluid systems technology sector, and ensure its success in the future.

Our updated brand identity was established by teams from all over the global TI Fluid Systems team. Following a collaborative process, where teams across many of our locations gave their input and ideas, we are proud to have developed a brand identity that will take us into the future with a clearer, more impactful and more modern identity. It was especially rewarding to see the unity within our team; no matter where they are in the world, each team did their bit to develop the new brand.

You may have noticed that our branding isn’t the only change we’ve made of late; we have recently updated our website, too. The website – https://tifluidsystems.com – has been restructured to be more up to date and accessible for its visitors. Take a look and see our new brand in action.

Owing to exceptional performance throughout 2022, 13 manufacturing plants within our Fluid Carrying Systems (FCS) and Fuel Tank and Delivery Systems (FTDS) divisions have received internal recognition for their achievements.

TI Fluid Systems has awarded a coveted FCS Quality Award to ten FCS plants across the global business in recognition of their exceptional manufacturing performance, while three FTDS plants achieved the equivalent accolade known internally as Global Benchmark level.

The FCS awards are based on performance against KPIs in critical areas of plant operation, from compliance with internal and external waste reduction targets to customer satisfaction, quality, and improvements made in Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ).

Plant performance levels in these key areas are assessed using a tiered system, with gold, silver and bronze awards. Four facilities – those based in Qinhuangdao, Yantai, Bekasi, and San José Chiapa – received the highest honour. Close behind was our plant in Montornes del Valles, which received silver-level recognition, while plants in Brindisi, Gravatai, Incheon, Hillsdale, and Nanjing were all awarded with bronze status.

On the FTDS side of the business, plants were ranked on how well they performed against our highest internal standards and KPIs. Those that exceeded their expected performance achieved the Benchmark level. The three plants to achieve this were based in Changchun, Guangzhou, and Lokeren. A special mention must also go to the Changchun plant for not only achieving Benchmark status within the business, but for gaining recognition from Toyota for delivering no defective parts throughout 2022.

Setting ambitious but attainable targets and empowering our plants to succeed is an important part of our strategy at TI Fluid Systems. So, too, is recognising hard work and high levels of performance, so it is encouraging that many of our global plants are not just meeting but exceeding their targets. This year, we will be developing a common awards system that will continue to recognise the great work that our fantastic teams all across the business have been doing. In the meantime, we are delighted with the performance of our FCS and FTDS teams – congratulations to everybody involved!

Last year, we launched a global Scholarship Program to help provide career pathways and assist with educational expenses for high-performing university students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study. 2023 is the first full year of the program and we’ve seen encouraging progress across all participating markets, with 32 scholarships already awarded and plenty more to come.

The Scholarship Program is aimed at underrepresented minority groups and students from low-income families, and is initially being rolled out in five of our key recruitment markets – USA, Germany, Poland, Mexico and China.

In Poland, two female students, Monika Swieciochowska and Klaudia Piwowarczy, were recently awarded two-year scholarships at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, while Zuzanna Szczelina and Kinga Mycek have been selected at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. All four of these students were chosen by their universities on account of their outstanding academic performance.

It’s a similar success story in China, where we’re working with three universities – close to our facilities in Shanghai, Changchun and Tianjin – to support 26 students as part of the initiative. Our Chinese team partnered with the universities to select female STEM students from low-income families or with excellent academic credentials.

There’s still work to be done in Germany, where the goal is to bring seven students onto the program. Currently, there are two female students from The Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and Stiftung der deutschen Wirtschaft enrolled, with the next selection planned for the end of the first quarter of 2023. Scholarship participants in Germany will also benefit from extra-curricular experiences, including a tour of the Rastatt E-Mobility Innovation Center and the opportunity to attend engineering networking events.

In the USA, work is also well underway. We have partnered with NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering), with a view to providing three students a place on the Scholarship Program. To be eligible, students need to meet the minimum GPA of 3.0, and will be interviewed by three TIFS representatives to assess their suitability for the program.

Finally, we are making great strides in Mexico, where our goal is to provide 20 scholarships for top performing female students from low-income backgrounds. We have already struck up partnerships with two first-class institutions, the Technological University of San Luis Potosi and the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, with each university committing to 10 scholarships each. The application process in Mexico is ongoing, so watch this space for news of the successful students.

Investing in the next generation of talent is critical to the ongoing success of our business, so projects such as the Scholarship Program are a positive step in securing our future. It is also especially important that we provide opportunities to underprivileged and underrepresented groups to ensure TI Fluid Systems is a diverse and inclusive place to work.

The month of February is observed and celebrated as Black History Month across the US and Canada. To mark the occasion this year and to ensure that TI Fluid Systems joined in the celebrations, the US/Canada Diversity and Inclusion Committee organized a special program on the afternoon of February 23^rd at the company’s corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills.

The guest of honor was Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr., a Detroit based historian, musician, storyteller and teacher, who spoke about African American History in the US, accentuating the narrative with music.

Introducing the special guest, Hans Dieltjens, the President and CEO, made the point that TI Fluid Systems is committed to the practice of Diversity and Inclusion across the globe. “This celebration of Black History Month is a good event, not only to recognize the value of African American employees at TIFS, but also to appreciate and celebrate the courage, persistence and valuable contributions of the African American community to the US and the world,” he said.

Rev. Jones opened his narrative with the observation that American history is black history and vice versa. Starting with his fascination about black spiritual music as a young boy growing up in Detroit, Rev. Jones informed and entertained the audience with tales of the African American experience in America, from the 17^th century all the way up to the present.

Rev. Jones said that music was the thread that knit this nation together, with black slaves using whatever objects they could, fashioned instruments like the banjo, to make music. Their music was not written down and was handed down from generation to generation. As each generation grew and expanded, their own experiences transformed the musical landscape of America, giving rise to new forms of music such as the Blues, Country Music, Jazz and Rock n Roll. He shared the stories brave pioneers of the emancipation, the underground railroad and the civil rights movement, like Harriet Tubman and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He recounted the influence of black musicians such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and Mahelia Jackson.

Rev. Jones was joined by his daughter Arnecia in singing several of these historical songs in multiple musical styles. He accompanied his own singing on multiple instruments, switching between guitar, harmonica, banjo and violin. Rev. Jones rendered a spontaneous song about TI Fluid Systems, called TI Fluid Systems Blues, which he made up on the spot, to the great delight of the audience.

Thank you to everybody involved in making this important event a roaring success and a wonderful celebration of the African American community in our business and in the wider world.

At the beginning of February, we held our 2023 Global Management Meeting in Ettlingen, Germany. The three-day event was attended by various leaders from every region and division within the business, providing an ideal opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and share updates and ideas.

Due to Covid-19, the meeting hasn’t taken place since 2019, so it was particularly special to reconnect 60 senior members of the TI Fluid Systems team under one roof. But not just any roof – the summit began with a tour of our state-of-the-art E-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt. Attendees were able to get a real sense of this unique facility where we design, develop, simulate and visualize thermal management systems and components for electrified vehicles.

Day two saw President and CEO, Hans Dieltjens, welcome everybody to the summit and explain that the TIFS Mindset of ‘embracing change’ was to be a key theme of the event. Delegates were then brought up to speed on business strategy from a technology and commercial point of view, followed by comprehensive business updates.

The final day of the summit began with an insightful presentation from Arun Kohli, Author of “Effective Coaching and the Fallacy of Sustainable Change”. The guest speaker addressed the group on the concepts of leadership and embracing change, which led nicely into the management roundtable discussion on the same topics. Following a Q&A and open discussion session, the team was given an update from various subject matter experts in Safety, Environment, Quality, Purchasing, Program Management, IT, HR, and Marketing departments to conclude the summit.

The consensus among attendees this year was that they were especially pleased to have the opportunity to see their friends and colleagues from other departments across the world. Collaboration is such an important component in any global business, and events like this are what it’s all about. We’re already looking forward to next year’s summit!

Over the years, we have found that improved connectivity between members of staff and senior executives has had a profound impact on the synergy within the team. This has certainly been the case with the Women’s Empowerment Network, which was established to help foster closer relationships between women who work at TI Fluid Systems on all levels through networking, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.

The network has several key objectives. Firstly, it seeks to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment for the personal and professional growth of our female employees, whereby their standing in the business is considered solely on the basis of their abilities and aptitudes, and not their age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic origin. The network has also been regarded as a catalyst in encouraging and creating opportunities for open communication, with members implored to speak with others within the network. To aid with this, the members have been provided with a network of contacts that they can call upon. These contacts offer more than just a social purpose, offering advice and opportunities, accelerating professional development and for social connections.

With members in the United States, China, Japan and areas of Latin America, the network has groups all over the world. Recently, members of the United States group met at our corporate office in Auburn Hills, and for many, this was an opportunity to introduce themselves to others within the team. Female directors and executives were on-hand to discuss why the network was so important to them, before those in attendance were split into small groups to take part in some team building activities. The event was received extremely well by those in attendance, with many pleased to have met more women within the team and having more support at work as a result.

Opportunity is what TI Fluid Systems offers. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace culture where diversity is valued, and diversity of experiences is appreciated.

Over our 100-year journey so far, we have recognised that our strength as a global automotive supplier is directly tied to the talent and diversity of our staff, management and Board leadership. Our current workforce consists of over 25,000 people worldwide, and while there are currently more men employed at TI Fluid Systems than women, we are proud that the gender split at the company is shrinking. Going forward, we will continue to strive to create a safe and inclusive workplace culture for all of our team.

In October last year, we invited guests from the German and UK media on a behind-the-scenes tour of our e-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt.

Our esteemed guests were treated to an introduction to the facility by Hans Dieltjens and Johannes Helmich, followed by a journey through our six core competencies. Engineers at the site did an admirable job of demonstrating our innovation and technical expertise, and the journalists were even able to get ‘hands on’ with a component assembly exercise.

Hosting an event such as this was a first for TI Fluid Systems, but as we forge ahead with our Take the Turn strategy, it is increasingly important that we tell the world our story. We have therefore been delighted by the coverage so far, which does an outstanding job of introducing the facility and explaining what it means for our business and the future of e-mobility.

For a succinct video summary of what went on at the event, have a look at this video that the team at the Institution of Engineering and Technology created: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D4WajcRsB0

We’ve also seen some extremely insightful and informative write-ups, in both English and German, from the likes of Automotive World, ATZ, Automobil-Industrie, KÜS Magazin and Engineering & Technology:

Automotive World

Engineering & Technology

KÜS Magazin

Automobil-Industrie

ATZ

We’re still expecting further coverage over the next couple of months, so keep an eye out for updates.

Thanks again to everyone involved in making our first ever media event a huge success.

100 years. If you take a moment to contemplate how long that really is and how much has changed in the past century, perhaps you’ll be able to acknowledge just how impressive it is for a business to endure for so long. Such durability requires so many understated attributes; innovation, resilience, flexibility, and application, to name a few.

2022 has seen us proudly commemorate our 100-year anniversary. We will celebrate by holding a series of commemorative events across our locations around the world and publishing a limited edition centennial book that takes a deeper dive into our illustrious history.

We’ve experienced our fair share of industry challenges since we were founded as the Harry Bundy Company some 100 years ago, but the aforementioned attributes have stood us in good stead on our journey. From Harry Bundy himself to our current President and CEO, Hans Dieltjens, we’ve been extremely fortunate throughout this journey to have consistently had a team that embodies these values, which today are reflected in all we do.

In the past 100 years, we have been faced with and shaped by five automotive megatrends, all of which have brought with them significant upheaval to the sector and have required an innovative response. The first of these was fuel, second hydraulic braking, third air conditioning, and then emissions reduction. The TI team of today are currently dealing with the fifth and most recent development, the electrification of the vehicle powertrain, and are tackling this with great success. Our Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer, Dom Milicia, noted that: “Electrification is a disruptive change in the automotive industry and will reward companies with an innovative attitude. As leaders in automotive fluid handling, it is a huge opportunity for TI Fluid Systems to adapt our technologies to rise to the challenge.”

Our strategy to maximise this opportunity is called Take the Turn. Under this strategy, we are already enhancing our capacity and capabilities to meet the changing demands of customers all over the world. Take the Turn is made up of three elements: Technology – our focus on vehicle electrification; Transformation – our commitment to a more sustainable business; and Talent – our investment in people and learning.

Over the last 100 years, we’ve endeavoured to build close relationships with our customers, and, as Hans Dieltjens acknowledges, it is these relationships that will see us move forward into the electrified age. “Building strong relationships with our customers is something that we have never compromised on in our 100 years of trading, and this will continue as we enter the next phase of our development as a company.”

Ultimately, the last 100 years have been about building towards the future. While it’s an honour to celebrate a century in business, our thoughts are immediately on gearing up for what comes next. As the curtain comes down on this centenary anniversary, we vow to build on the last 100 years in the next 100 years.