Vossloh

The company is named after Eduard Vossloh. In 1883, the blacksmith received the first contract from the Royal Prussian Railway for the manufacture of spring washers for rail fasteners. On July 11, 1888 the Eduard Vossloh Company was registered. Spring washers and other hardware items were manufactured at the family's blacksmiths shop. Even today, Werdohl is still the headquarters of Vossloh AG and Vossloh Fastening Systems GmbH (Core Components division).[4]

Through the early 1900s the company continued to grow, producing general hardware including decorative items and lampholders for electric lights.[4]

In 1945 the facilities in Werdohl were destroyed by a bomb. Subsidiaries marketing lampholders which are located in Kaliningrad, Wroclaw and East Germany ceased to be part of the company due to the changes in political borders at that time.[4]

In 1946 production of holders for fluorescent tubes was allowed to take place at a plant in Lüdenscheid, by 1962 an additional plant for lighting products had opened in Selm and the Vossloh works employed 1,300 people, with 500 more employed in subsidiaries. 1967 was a decisive turning Point: Vossloh obtained a license to produce a new tension clamp rail fastening developed by Prof. Hermann Meier director of the Deutsche Bundesbahn.[4][5]

Recession in Germany in the 1980s resulted in the closure of two plants and employee lay-offs reducing the staff by almost half. Management was brought in from outside the Vossloh family, and Schwabe GmbH acquired; its lighting ballast products complementing Vossloh's lighting fittings product range, and on 1 December 1989 Vossloh-Werke GmbH became a public stock company or Aktiengesellschaft (AG). At this time there were three company divisions : Vossloh-Werke GmbH (Werdohl) (railway components e.g. tension clamps), Vossloh-Schwabe GmbH (Urbach) (electrical lighting products and components), and Hansa Metallwarengesellschaft mbH Thiessen & Hager (decorative products, sunscreen products).[4][5]

The current listed company was founded in 1990. On June 13, 1990, the shares of Vossloh AG were listed on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange for the first time. In the 1990s, the reunification of Germany resulted, and new markets in eastern Europe resulted in additional demand for its rail fastening products on the former Deutsche Reichsbahn and elsewhere. Hoesch Maschinenfabrik Deutschland GmbH and W. Hegenscheidt GmbH manufacturers of railway wheelset machining equipment were acquired in the mid 1990s. In 1997 the company was first listed on the MDAX. In 1998 railway switch manufacturing company VAE group was acquired by Voestalpine AG and Vossloh.[4][5]

However recession in the 1990s resulted in the sale of the non-'recession-resilient' decorative products division to Arquati S.p.a of Italy in 1997. Under company CEO Burkhard Schuchmann Vossloh was re-orientated as a rail industry based company during and after the 1990s; In 2002 the lighting division was sold to Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd. of Osaka, Japan,[4][5][6] and the company expanded into the rail industry market with a number of acquisitions:[4]

• 1996: Rail related parts of the Deutsche System Technik GmbH company (traffic management and electronic information systems) are acquired after insolvency, forming Vossloh System-Technik GmbH
• 1998: The former Krupp Maschinenbau Kiel, then under Siemens' ownership as Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik
• 1998: MAN Systemelektronik acquired and added to Vossloh System-Technik GmbH
• 2000: Vossloh and Angel Trains formed a locomotive leasing business - Locomotion Partners consisting of two companies: Locomotion capital Ltd. (90% owned by Angel trains, 10% Vossloh): a locomotive procurement, rental and management company initially headquartered in London. Locomotion Service GmbH (90% owned by Vossloh, 10% Angel trains): a locomotive servicing and modification company that would initially contract its work to Vossloh SFT in Kiel. The companies would not exclusively hire and service only Vossloh locomotives, and would act independently, depending on the circumstances.[7]^] In 2004 the 10% stake in Locomotion capital Ltd. was sold and the stake in Locomotion Service GmbH increased to 100%.
• 2001: A 55% stake in NovoSignal AB (Sweden), designers of electronic interlocking and process control systems
• 2001: (VAE systems acquires Transwerk Perway Pty. Ltd (South Africa), railroad switch manufacturer)
• 2002: Passenger information and entertainment systems unit of Bombardier Transportation, Germany
• 2002: Cogifer group (France) (Division Customized Modules) is acquired, and Vossloh's share in VAE group is sold to Voestalpine The Société de Construction et d’Embranchements Industriels (SEI) was founded in 1904 in Reichshoffen, Alsace, to manufacture rail switches. Reichshoffen is still an important location today. One of the French switch plants has its headquarters here, as does the technology center of Vossloh Cogifer.
• 2002: Kiepe Elektrik (Düsseldorf, Germany)
• 2002: Skamo (Nowe Skalmierzyce, Poland); railroad switch manufacturer.
• 2003: MIN Skretnice (Serbia); railroad switch manufacturer.
• 2004: The diesel locomotive manufacturer formerly known as Meinfesa (in Valencia, Spain) was acquired from Alstom during that company's time of financial difficulties.
• 2004: Swedish Rail Systems AB (Sweden); railroad switch manufacturer
• 2004: Delkor Pty. (Australia); railroad switch manufacturer
• 2004: JS Industries Private Ltd., (Hyderabad, India); 51% of shares of railroad switch manufacturer
• 2005: Daksin Transtek Ltd. (Bangalore, India); railroad switch manufacturer - joint venture with Patil group (Patil Rail Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, India)
• 2005: Beekay Engineering & Castings Ltd. (India), 60% acquired by Vossloh Cogifer

At the end of 2005 Burkard Schuchmann is succeeded by Dr. Gerhard Eschenröder as CEO until 2007 when Werner Andree replaces him. The subsidiary, Vossloh Information Technologies GmbH was sold (February 2007) to Funkwerk AG. The company continued to expand; its first acquisition in North America was Pohl Corp (switch manufacturer), followed by Cleveland Track Material Inc., both acquired in 2007. A 100% stake in French rail infrastructure company (ETF) was also obtained in 2007. The same year the company opened a rail fastening subsidiary in China.[4]

In 2008 Vossloh infrastructure services is sold to the VINCI group of companies - this included the infrastructure parts of Cogifer SA acquired in 2002 as well as Européenne de Travaux Ferroviaires SA.[4][8]

Further railroad switch manufacturers were acquired :TLK Rail (Australia) in 2007, Sportek (Denmark) and Kloos Oving B.V. (Netherlands) in 2008, and the switch and rail manufacturing parts of the Nouva Sima Sud company (Italy) in 2009.[4]

In 2010 the company enters the rail services market in Germany, forming Vossloh Rail Services GmbH from the rail maintenance parts of Stahlberg-Roensch Group in addition to LOG Logistikgesellschaft Gleisbau mbH and ISB Instandhaltungssysteme Bahn GmbH.[4] A rail milling and grinding joint venture Vossloh MFL Rail Milling GmbH, was formed in association with Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Giesserei in 2012.[9]

In mid 2013 Knorr-Bremse owner Heinz Hermann Thiele became chairman of the Vossloh board, after having raised his shareholding in the company from below 5% to over 10% in Mar. 2011, and to over 25% in 2013. Thiele's election to chair was opposed by the Vossloh family who own over 30% of the shares.[10] In November 2013 the Vossloh family unexpectedly sold 22% of its shareholding, reducing their holding to under 10% and leaving Heinz Hermann Thiele as the main shareholder in the company.[11]

In 2014 the company began a restructuring. New executive board members were introduced and high level management numbers were reduced by a third, and talks started on general workforce redundancies.[12][13] The transfer of locomotive production in Kiel to a more modern site was also under investigation, with three sites identified. In June 2014 Kieler Nachrichten reported that an offer had been made for Voith's locomotive plant,[14][note 1] however in July the company announced it was to build a new plant at a cost of €30 million in the Suchsdorf area of Kiel.[18] A groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant took place 17 July 2015.[19]

In December 2014 the company announced it intended to divest its transportation division.[20][21] The rail-vehicles division was announced as sold to Stadler in late 2015.[22] The Electrical Systems division (formerly Vossloh Kiepe) was sold to Knorr-Bremse in 2016.[23]

End of 2016, Vossloh acquired Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc., headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado from Altus Capital Partners II. Since 1986 the North American company mainly supplies customers in the USA focus market with concrete thresholds. At the same time, Vossloh has purchased the remaining 50% of the shares in the previous Alpha Rail Team joint venture.[2]

Vossloh has three divisions contribute to the core business, rail infrastructure: Core Components, Customized Modules and Lifecycle Solutions.

Vossloh currently operates with four divisions. The fourth division, Transportation, covers the developing and manufacturing of diesel locomotives, and also provides all necessary locomotive maintenance and repair services. With the adoption of the strategy at the end of 2014, the Transportation division stopped being part of the core business.

The individual companies are centrally coordinated by the holding company, Vossloh AG, and operate in common under the Vossloh brand.[24]

Transportation

The Transportation division produces locomotives and provides related services.[24]

See also: Maschinenbau Kiel

Vossloh G2000 BB Diesel-hydraulic locomotive

Vossloh Locomotives GmbH, the former MaK locomotive plant in Kiel produces diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic centre-cab locomotives, for freight and shunting purposes, which are fitted with eco-friendly technology and are approved in many European countries.[31]

This is complemented by services related to the maintenance and repair of locomotives, including variable financing models and options for maintenance agreements. ECM-compliant service centers are located in Germany, France and Italy. The pan-European service network also includes partner workshops and collaborations, in Sweden.[31]

The factory's main production up to 2009 was diesel hydraulic locomotives of type Vossloh G1000 BB, Vossloh G1206, Vossloh G1700 BB and Vossloh G2000 BB. The company's major orders included G1206/1700 variants for the French (SNCF Class BB 61000[32]) and Swiss railways (SBB Am 843[33]).

A three axle shunting locomotive, type Vossloh G6 was introduced in 2008, in 2009 the company announced to the intention to offer diesel electric or diesel hydraulic variant of four axle centre cab locomotives in two power ranges: G 12 or DE 12 and G 18 or DE 18[34] (approximately corresponding to the power ranges of the G1206 and G1700 versions.)

In 2016, Vossloh Locomotives won a major contract in France. Akiem S.A.S. ordered 44 locomotives of DE 18.[35]

In 2000 Vossloh and Angel Trains formed a locomotive leasing business - Locomotion Partners consisting of two companies:

• Locomotion capital Ltd. (90% owned by Angel trains, 10% Vossloh) : a locomotive procurement, rental and management company initially headquartered in London.
• Locomotion Service GmbH (90% owned by Vossloh, 10% Angel trains) : a locomotive servicing and modification company that would initially contract its work to Vossloh SFT in Kiel.

The companies would not exclusively hire and service only Vossloh locomotives, and would act independently, depending on the circumstances.[36] In 2004 the 10% stake in Locomotion capital Ltd. was sold and the stake in Locomotion Service GmbH increased to 100%.[37]

• Voestalpine : competitor in the rail turnout business
• Pandrol : competitor in the rail fastening business

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