The German company group Liebherr is a global manufacturer with over 50,000 employees who contribute to technological progress in its various industries. The concern, which is 100% family owned, owes its global success and popularity to its excellence in many fields of technology - from excavation, construction, mining and various types of cranes through automation systems, transport, aerospace and aviation components, to the development and production of household and professional refrigeration appliances.

For more than 70 years, Liebherr's pursuit of innovation and uncompromising commitment to quality have been a guarantee of satisfied and loyal customers in all product areas.

Working at Liebherr means focusing on the important things, relying on strong support, and enjoying creating inspiring products. The company's motto as an employer reflects just that: One Passion. Many Opportunities.

The passion for technology and the determination to offer exceptional products to our customers is what unites the employees. At the same time, everyone has the freedom to realize their ideas and contribute to the creation of inspiring products of a new generation, the company said.

Liebherr in Bulgaria

The German concern chose Bulgaria as a production center at the end of the last century, and 20 years later it already has three companies. The first is Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD for the production of refrigerators and freezers, which has been operating since 2000. Liebherr was the first major investor in the Maritza Industrial Zone, currently part of Plovdiv's Trakia Economic Zone. The development of the plant is on the rise, as in the latest K100 ranking of "Capital" the company is a leader in the machinery and equipment sector. After the decision to enter Bulgaria 22 years ago, the company built a second plant in the Plovdiv region - for the production of air conditioning systems for trains, and these activities are separated in the company Liebherr-Transportation Systems Marica EOOD. At the beginning of July 2021, the German group registered a third company in Bulgaria – Liebherr-Concrete Technology Marica EOOD, with a subject of activity production of concrete trucks. A few months later, the plant was built and part of the production lines were operating.

Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD

What do the numbers say?

Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD is part of the company group and a leader in the refrigeration sector. A wide range of high-quality refrigerators and freezers for household use has been produced in the production base near Plovdiv for over 20 years. Since its founding in Bulgaria, the company has developed extremely dynamically. In December 2020, a record of more than 1,000,000 manufactured appliances was set, thanks to the efforts of more than 2,000 employees. In less than a year, the record was repeated in November, with more than 1,090,000 appliances produced in 2021. The development of the plant is on the rise and in the latest K100 ranking of "Capital" the company is a leader in the sector of machinery and equipment.

What is the reason for success?

The success is largely due to the excellent teamwork of all staff, as well as the proper management of the crisis during the coronavirus pandemic. The company did not stop production and successfully reorganized its processes. The good performance is due to most orders in 2020, which leads to the hiring of more than 300 associates in the production.

One of the core values of the family concern is: "The key to success is our employees." The Bulgarian company offers employees respect, fairness and security, a healthy and ergonomic work environment. The development of employees is directly related to the development of the company. Proof of this are the many and varied opportunities that are offered. The company invests significant funds in comprehensive training programs.

Liebherr also has a one-of-a-kind training center, modeled on the training centers in Germany, licensed by NAVET, which has been training specialists for the positions of "Machine Operator" and "Mechanic" for over ten years. In 2019, training began in a new specialty "Electrical Engineering and Automation". One of the most important aspects of the training center is that students receive a salary for the duration of the training program. After the successful completion of the Training Center’s programs, the specialists get the opportunity to realize responsible positions in the production departments, in the maintenance department, as well as in other specialized places.

Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD is true to high standards. The company's priority continues to be technological progress and innovative solutions for the benefit of the customer: "We are true specialists in cooling, freezing and maintaining the freshness of products. This passion and many years of experience are proven with each of our products and this explains the high appreciation with which our loyal customers and partners from all over the world value us."

Production

Most often, finished products are exported to Russia, the European Union, England, Australia, China and others. The company is also preparing to export to the US market.

Challenges

The company says that the biggest managerial challenges are related to the management of production in a pandemic and the constant increase in material prices. The crisis caused by COVID-19 has led to problems with the supply of materials and electronic components. This, in turn, requires frequent changes to the set programs, which in turn leads to a deterioration in productivity. Another challenge is the launch of new series of refrigerators, which began in late 2021 and will continue in the coming years. Although they are dealing with the selection of staff, the issue of staffing - their availability and qualifications - is also a challenge amid the demographic crisis for the whole country.

Staff

"Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica" did not feel a shortage of middle level technical staff, precisely because they have a training center. They fill most of their annual needs for machine operators, mechanics, locksmiths and automation specialists. The strong employer brand and the good name of the company on the labor market help to ensure that so far there are no difficulties in finding both installers in the industry and specialists in technical and economic administration.

Goals

The company's goals for 2022 are related, on the one hand, to the ongoing transformation of the field of household appliances - globalization of processes and systems, creation of common programs for staff development, global health management program, and ongoing work for maintaining an ergonomic working environment in all factories of the department. The goal is also the continuous increase of customer satisfaction, which is why Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD started with the production of an improved product line. "On the other hand, we need to keep production stable by providing the necessary parts and personnel," the company said.

Liebherr-Transportation Systems Marica EOOD

The company designs and manufactures air conditioning systems for rail transport, refrigeration units for truck trailers (www.celsineo.com), control panels for tower cranes, while offering its customers a wide service network. The celsineo product, a joint development of Liebherr and Krone, is the newest and most innovative product of the two companies.

Clients

The direct customers of the air conditioning systems are car-building plants, the main ones being Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom. Indirect customers are railways on all continents. The company's equipment takes care of passenger comfort, for example in the Berlin Metro, the Vienna S-Bahn, the Paris Metro, the German Railway (Deutsche Bahn), South Africa, Canada and many other places around the world.

A customer of Celsineo appliances is Krone, which manufactures trailers and semi-trailers.

The control towers for tower cranes are manufactured and delivered within the group, namely at the Liebherr tower crane plant in Germany.

The company started with 7 employees and reached to an independent company with 280 employees and a production area of over 9,000 square meters. What is the reason for this success?

The success is due to a compilation of many factors, the most important of which are the unique technical solutions, the introduced system of continuous improvement, the teamwork of employees, as well as the continuous improvement of their skills. Customers know that in addition to impressive products, they can also rely on competent employees as well as an extensive service network.

Opportunities for career development

At Liebherr, they firmly believe that the key to success is their collaborators. Therefore, the company invests a lot in training and qualification of employees at all levels. There are widespread professional and language training programs. Special attention is paid to the development of managerial skills of the management staff.

In terms of developing specific technical skills, Liebherr-Transportation Systems works in synergy with Liebherr-Hausgeräte, using the services of the training center if necessary. They also work successfully with universities and technical colleges in the city.

Of great interest to young engineers is the design department, which designs for the Liebherr aircraft plant in Lindenberg, Germany. In the coming years, this department will grow significantly and will be looking for engineers who are willing to develop as designers. The company has extremely good experience in hiring candidates with little or no experience, but backed by solid engineering knowledge to help turn them into experienced designers.

Significant innovations in 2022

Liebherr-Transportation Systems will begin production of a new product for Liebherr's aviation plant in Toulouse, France. It is an actuator that drives the valves that control the air conditioning system of the aircraft. For this activity they will need specialists in the field of electrical engineering and mechanics.

The company will also start developing design work for the Liebherr plant in Toulouse, which means that there will be an even greater need for experienced and young engineers.

More and more companies from the Liebherr Group are showing interest in transferring production and engineering activities to Liebherr-Transportation Systems, which in time means opening more and more specialized production (mechanics and electromechanics) and engineering positions.

Liebherr-Concrete Technology Marica EOOD

In the summer of 2021, Liebherr registered its third company, despite the political situation in the country and the generally uncertain economic situation in Europe.

Why are they choosing Bulgaria again?

The decision to choose Bulgaria for the new investment of the Liebherr concern, and in particular - of the Concrete Equipment Division, is not accidental. Two other product lines (Liebherr-Hausgeräte and Liebherr-Transportation) have been successfully established in the Plovdiv region for decades. On the one hand, Bulgaria and Plovdiv offer very good conditions for business (both as a location and as the presence of specialists), and on the other hand, the company enjoys synergies with the other two companies of the concern, which greatly facilitates their establishment in the region and allows for efficiency gains.

It is an interesting fact that the initial idea was to export to Bulgaria only certain activities for welding barrels and frames, but the work started so successfully that only within a year the original plans were completely reconsidered and it was decided to establish a separate company in Bulgaria with 120 to 150 staff.

A few months after the registration, the plant was built and the production lines started operating.

Where does the workforce come from?

It is well known that the whole of Europe suffers from a shortage of technical specialists. In order to be a preferred employer, you need to work systematically to have a good name. The only way you can achieve this in the information age, in which people exchange information with each other more easily than ever, is by showing loyalty and care for people, taking care of their development and well-being. Liebherr provides modern and safe (secure) jobs, competitive remuneration according to achievements and an extensive social program (transport, food money, food vouchers, sports cards and supplementary health insurance). Occupational safety and health of employees are a top priority. The new production of concrete trucks in Plovdiv is already established as an important part of the Liebherr Concrete Engineering division and will provide secure jobs for many years to come.

The new plant for concrete mixers in Plovdiv needs mainly specialists in metalworking and installation, but also in electrical engineering. These are, for example, professions such as engineers, mechanics, welders, logisticians, quality control specialists and administrative staff.

Production

Currently, Liebherr-Concrete Technology Marica EOOD manufactures barrels and frames for concrete trucks, as well as pre-assembled complete equipment, which are sent to the plant in Bad Schussenried, Germany, where ready-made concrete trucks are assembled.

Clients

The end customers are construction companies and concrete transport companies around the world.

The year 2022

As early as the beginning of 2022, Liebherr-Concrete Technology Maritsa EOOD aims to supply customers from all over Eastern Europe, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Russia directly from the factory in Bulgaria with ready-made concrete trucks. Pre-assembled equipment is shipped to the parent plant in Bad Schussenried, Germany, and after additional installation, it is supplied to customers in Western Europe.

 

Date: 07.01.2022

Readed: 1643