20th anniversary of Brose Sitech Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg. Brose Sitech GmbH has been a proud part of Wolfsburg's economy for two decades and has firmly established itself as a supplier of vehicle seats on the automotive market. To celebrate the anniversary, the company held a family party yesterday at the plant site in the Sandkamp district, where employees, their families and representatives of partners and customers came together to celebrate this special milestone. The site already celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2023, and the celebrations were scheduled for this year.

From noon to 6 p.m., around 1,400 young and old guests were offered a colorful program with various attractions that guaranteed lots of fun and at the same time provided exciting insights into the product world and work at Brose Sitech. After gaining an insight into validation methods and prototype construction in the product development test rooms, visitors were able to get to know the individual production stations on a tour of the factory halls. At the apprentice’s stand, the younger guests were able to their own bottle opener from metal parts. The employees and their families received detailed information on the preventive and curative treatments offered at the company's own health center from colleagues from the company health management team.

Beginnings and growth at the Wolfsburg site
Following the joint founding of the then Sitech Sitztechnik GmbH by Volkswagen AG and KWD GmbH in Wolfsburg in 2000, the German company and the previously founded Polish Sitech sp. z o.o. became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Volkswagen in 2003. The German Sitech company commenced operations in 2002, initially in premises in Braunschweig and later in Warmenau. In the same year, the current production halls on Stellfelder Strasse were built.

The production of complete seats for the Touran then began in spring 2003. In 2005, with the inauguration of the seat development center next to the production halls, the development department previously located in Tappenbeck was also relocated to Sandkamp, where the focus was on innovation, high quality and functional finesse right from the start. In the same year, Prototype Construction moved into new premises in the Heinenkamp industrial estate, which were also used for trim cover development from 2006. The external site on the outskirts of Wolfsburg was officially inaugurated as a competence center for vehicle seats in 2010.

Over the years, millions of seat sets ("carsets") have been produced and installed in Volkswagen AG vehicles manufactured in Wolfsburg, such as the Golf, Tiguan, formerly also the Amarok or Tarraco. A complete seat set comprises the front and rear rows of seats in a vehicle and passes through various stages in production, from pre-commissioning of the components to assembly and upholstering of the structure, foam and trim cover to the "marriage" - the assembly of the seat and backrest sections.

The production figures for the Wolfsburg site speak for themselves: over 13 million carsets have left the factory halls to date, contributing to the ultimate passenger comfort experience while maintaining the highest safety standards. From day one, deliveries to the customer have been made "just-in-sequence" and "just-in-time", in the right assembly sequence at the right time.

A key component of Brose Sitech GmbH's success is its innovative strength. The Wolfsburg site continuously invests in the development of vehicle seats and the latest test procedures in order to constantly improve products. 140 engineers work closely with customers to develop tailor-made solutions and meet current market requirements in terms of comfort, safety and design.

Since 2022, the Wolfsburg location has been part of a global network of 10 locations within the Brose Sitech Group. The joint venture founded by Brose SE and Volkswagen AG not only reflects a new identity but also enables new growth opportunities in the automotive market by leveraging joint synergies. In the future, the Wolfsburg site is to be sustainably strengthened in its local position with the Strategy 2030+ and the associated objectives.

Strong Wolfsburg workforce
The heart of the location is its 1,530 employees. Their wealth of experience, their commitment to Brose Sitech Wolfsburg, its products and not least the ideas and influences from over 40 nationalities have shaped the location for two decades. Openness, respect and cooperation form the basis for a strong community of employees who have contributed to the success of Brose Sitech GmbH, often with many years of service.

"On the occasion of our 20th anniversary, we can look back on a piece of history: The site started out in different premises and with a small team that laid the foundations for our current company back then as a newly founded subsidiary for vehicle seats at. We are very proud of this journey and all the milestones we have achieved so far. Not least because our employees in particular have guaranteed the success of the site with their commitment - on behalf of the entire management board, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all employees," says Thorsten Esser, Technical Director Brose Sitech GmbH.

Chairman of the General Works Council Wissam Harb explains: "Two decades on the market are a sign of consistency and continuous growth. Today we are celebrating together as a workforce what we have achieved so far. The celebration is a tribute to the perseverance and flexibility that the employees and their families have shown over the last few years, which have not been easy. Let's tackle the next twenty years together too!"