Mar 7 2008
ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH brings its Mexican subsidiary company ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks S.A. de C.V. as a contribution into the US Joint Venture TWB Company L.L.C. TWB was established in 1991 as a joint venture between ThyssenKrupp Steel North America, Inc., and Worthington Industries for the production of tailored blanks. ThyssenKrupp Steel by the con-tribution of its Mexican subsidiary becomes the majority shareholder in TWB.
ThyssenKrupp Steel will provide the industrial leadership of TWB, which furthers the integration of TWB into their worldwide tailored blanks network. By bringing together the tailored blanks ac-tivities, ThyssenKrupp Steel responds to the demand by automotive industry customers for a supplier with global presence.
The Mexican company Tailored Blanks S.A. de C.V. has its registered office in Puebla and sup-plies a local car manufacturer with customised, laser-welded steel sheets. The company was established in 2001 and has a workforce of 38 employees. TWB Company has a workforce of around 400 employees. TWB supplies the major US car manufacturers with tailored blanks. The company is based in Monroe, Michigan. There are also four additional production sites, two of which are also located in Mexico.
ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH is a subsidiary company of ThyssenKrupp Steel AG. In addition to their presence in Mexico and the US, ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks GmbH is also present with companies in China, Turkey, Italy, Sweden and the Czech Republic. In Germany, ThyssenKrupp Tailored Blanks operates three plants. Worthington Industries is one of the largest independent steel trading companies in the US.
Tailored blanks are sheets of different thickness, steel grade and coating which are joined together by laser welding. At the car plant, the blanks can be formed for example into doors, tailgates, floors and side members. Tailored blanks are designed from the outset to match the loads in the finished part. Today, up to 25 percent of a car body can be made from tailored blanks, resulting in weight reductions of 20 to 40 percent.