It was a hot and humid day on August 16, 2006, when dignitaries, customers, management and local employees, gathered to inaugurate Trelleborg’s first greenfield manufacturing facility in China. Trelleborg’s President and CEO Peter Nilsson, then less than a year into his role, was there to mark the day.
“We are committed to expanding aggressively in Asia,” he said in his speech. “This facility continues our strategic investments in the region, and it will be followed by others, in China and in other Asian countries.”
“At the beginning of its sealing solutions operations in Shanghai, Trelleborg went through a process of establishing the right products for the facility,” Chan says. “Product lines were tried, continued or phased out, while others were brought in that fitted local customers’ needs better.”
In the beginning, customers were mainly from automotive and industrial markets. “However, over the past decade, the aerospace business has grown very quickly, both for global and local customers, as well as the semiconductor industry,” he adds. “We like to be a problem solver for the customer. When customers need to develop new or upgrade their products, they need support from us. While utilizing our global expertise, we involve our local R&D team to look for tailored solutions.”
“We are committed to expanding aggressively in Asia,” he said in his speech. “This facility continues our strategic investments in the region, and it will be followed by others, in China and in other Asian countries.”
Problem solver
Among the Trelleborg employees at the inauguration was Oliver Chan, and 20 years later he is still working actively for Trelleborg. He is now the Asia-Pacific head of the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions business area and managing director for the Shanghai facility, a position he has held since its opening in 2006.“At the beginning of its sealing solutions operations in Shanghai, Trelleborg went through a process of establishing the right products for the facility,” Chan says. “Product lines were tried, continued or phased out, while others were brought in that fitted local customers’ needs better.”
In the beginning, customers were mainly from automotive and industrial markets. “However, over the past decade, the aerospace business has grown very quickly, both for global and local customers, as well as the semiconductor industry,” he adds. “We like to be a problem solver for the customer. When customers need to develop new or upgrade their products, they need support from us. While utilizing our global expertise, we involve our local R&D team to look for tailored solutions.”
