Germany’s leading engineering and electronics company Bosch discussed its plan in Georgia
By Mariam Chanishvili
Friday, September 29
Bosch held a press briefing on September 27 in Radisson Blu Iveria Tbilisi.
Hansjurgen Overstolz, President of Bosch Group in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus, David Oker, Commercial Director of Robert Bosch Ltd in Georgia and Julia Golubtsova, Regional Head of Corporate Communications, Brand Management and Public Relations at Robert Bosch attended the event.
The representatives discussed the company’s development, strategy, and operational prospects globally as well as in Georgia. The journalists were able to take part in a Question & Answer session.
Robert Bosch GmbH, or Bosch, is a German multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components measured by 2011 revenues. The company was founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart in 1886. Bosch is 92% owned by Robert Bosch Stiftung.
Robert Bosch Foundation is a charitable institution, is one of the leading private foundations of Europe that is known for its promotion of natural and social sciences, including public health and science, education, society and culture, and international relations.
During the presentation, Hansjurgen Overstolz noted that the Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 390,000 associates worldwide. He also mentioned that the company generated sales of 73.1 billion euros in 2016. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.
“The main catalyzer of the change for the business and industrial environment is connectivity. Bosch is not just a company, it actively contributes to changes,” said Overstolz.
The Bosch Group's strategic objective, which was mentioned during the discussion, is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative.
David Oker, Commercial Director of Robert Bosch Ltd in Georgia, talked about Bosch’s work in the country. He said that until 2011 everything was exported from Germany. Since 2015, the product is kept in local storage units. The taxes are paid in Georgia, so this clearly makes it “Georgian Business.”
“We hold regular trainings for our employees. We see ourselves as a center in Caucasus,” said Oker.
He also noted that the local spin of the business has increased three times.
Bosch in Georgia offers high-quality spare parts and components for almost all car models. It also has diagnostic centers.
During the Q&A session, Overstolz was asked whether any type of merge is going to take place between companies, on which he commented that Bosch’s number one value is to be financially and operationally independent.
“We have our values from our founder and our constitution. We never want to depend on any other institution,” said Overstolz.
