Volvo
The Volvo Group ( from the Latin volvo: " I roll" ) is a Swedish commercial vehicle group. Volvo was founded in 1927 as a car manufacturer, but the passenger car division Volvo Car Corporation sold 1999 Ford At the same time the Volvo brand and the trademark on the Volvo Trademark Holding were transferred; they are shared between Volvo Group and Volvo Car Corporation.
Today, the Volvo Group buses and chassis of Volvo, Prevost, Nova Bus and MASA produced (Volvo Buses), trucks from Volvo (Volvo Trucks ), Renault, Mack and Nissan, as well as construction machinery.
History
Volvo was founded in 1915 by the Swedish ball bearing manufacturer SKF as a testing department. The first aim was only trying to test the cars then new bearings to build. 1926/27, Volvo Assar Gabrielsson was founded by Gustaf Larson and as an independent company. SKF was still holding to 1935 shares in Volvo. From this fact, the often -mentioned different early years result. From 1936 until the late 1950s there was a separate company Volvo do Brasil Ltda in Brazil. for the Latin American market. Only in 1977 was the founding of Volvo do Brasil in Curitiba.
In 1959 Volvo was the first car manufacturer to the three-point belt as standard a, the Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented for the Group. After 1967, the conversion took place in Sweden on legal relations, sales increased car and truck models, especially since new model types such as passenger cars Volvo 140 and the Volvo F88 trucks were introduced. However, the buses had already ready for changeover date with doors on the right side, so that a short time before was a great demand. The sudden rejuvenation of the fleet of cars at the bus company then sales fell to buses in Germany drastically, and it was for the next ten to twelve years, no significant sales figures in the main market of Volvo (at that time was hardly export instead ) expected. Thus, the management wanted to hire the bus and coach actually, especially since the bus models of the second Swedish manufacturer Scania -Vabis then found wider distribution. But instead, the plan of the Volvo Busfachmannes Stig -Arne Olson in 1968 application and it was founded in the Volvo bus division as independent department in the Volvo Group. This could also be due to shorter decision paths are achieved greater success through export deliveries, especially in Switzerland, the UK and France, but also overseas. In 1969 according to the same pattern, the formation of the Volvo truck division and the Volvo car division. Due to the large (export) successes of the truck series F88/F89 F10 and F12 and their successors, the production capacity had to be increased. Therefore, the construction of Volvo models has been included in a new plant in Belgium. The Bus Division Furthermore, it was relocated to a newly set up assembly plant for the construction of bus chassis in Viared in Borås.
By 1973, Volvo was a pure vehicle group. After that, however, was followed by many investments and acquisitions in other segments. The then Chairman Pehr G. Gyllenhammar Volvo developed over the years into a multi- group.
At the shareholder meeting in April 1994, the then CEO Sören Gyll before the end of diversification. Volvo focused then on again almost entirely on its core business and gradually sold - with the exception of those Volvo Financial - all other former Volvo subsidiaries outside of the vehicle segment.
1998 Volvo sold the manufacturing of truck rear axles Meritor.
In January 2001, Volvo took over the commercial vehicle division of Renault Renault Véhicules Industriels ( RVI ), including the brand Mack Trucks, but not Renault's stake in Irisbus. RVI was renamed Renault Trucks in 2002. In return, Renault received about 20 % of the shares in AB Volvo. In October 2010, all the ordinary shares and 3.8 % of the voting shares were sold, so Renault currently owns 17.5 % of the voting shares.
Volvo Trademark Holding
Thus, the name Volvo is still regarded by the public as a unit and not a manufacturer of the image differs fundamentally with that of the other, there is the Volvo Trademark Holding. This was established simultaneously with the sale of Volvo Car Corporation (Volvo Personvagnar ) to Ford Volvo CEO Leif Johansson and then- CEO Jacques Nasser Ford. This company manages the name Volvo and thus results in important strategic marketing aspects, both motor vehicle manufacturers together again: 50% each of the shares of Volvo Trademark Holding include the Volvo Personvagnar, the other 50 % is owned by the Volvo Group. CEO of the company are to be equal parts for a Volvo Personvagnar CEO Stafan Jacoby and on the other hand, the CEO of Volvo Group, Leif Johansson. The bodies of the Volvo Trademark Holding, which consist of employees of Volvo Personvagnar and the Volvo Group, will meet regularly to discuss common sponsorship activities, such as the Volvo Ocean Race, manage logos and lettering of the brand and ensure that the brand continues to maintain a uniform status in public.
In October 2012, a revised logo was presented at the launch of the Volvo V40 cars.
Group structure
The company is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Volvo group of companies employs approximately 100,000 (2007) people.
Since the founding of Volvo Group of companies includes trucks (Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks today and Mack trucks ), construction equipment ( Volvo Construction Equipment) and buses ( Volvo Bus ) to the product range. The truck division was 66 % of sales in 2007 is the most important. A significant share of sales contributed the machinery with 19 % at. The business coaches put 6% of the total sales order.
The Group of companies also includes Volvo Penta (industrial and marine engines, 4% of total sales) and by 2012, Volvo Aero ( engines and parts for aerospace, 3% of total sales). The Volvo Group also owns the Volvo Financial Services ( 3% of total sales) and Volvo Construction Equipment (construction machinery). Volvo Financial is the only remaining Volvo division outside the vehicle segment.
With 45 % and 19 % revenue share, the Volvo Group operates, particularly in Western Europe and North America. In Asia, 15% in Eastern Europe accounts for 10 % conversion. With 6 % of total sales, South America region to be mentioned. The rest is distributed to the rest of the world.
Products
Truck
Volvo Trucks is the world's second largest manufacturer of heavy trucks. The majority of sales concentrated on Western Europe, North and South America and Asia.
Renault Trucks is one of the major truck manufacturers in Europe. The company offers all types of commercial vehicles: from light trucks for urban distribution transportation to special vehicles and heavy trucks for long-distance freight traffic. Were already in the 1970s, Volvo and Renault ( as " Saviem " ) for so-called " four - Club", the jointly developed truck.
1981 White truck manufacturing with its subsidiary Autocar but was taken over by Volvo without Western Star Trucks and Volvo White Truck Corp.. renamed. Group brands were Volvo, White and Autocar. 1988 there was a further merger as Volvo Trucks, a joint venture with General Motors entered. GM brought it to a heavy truck range from GMC. The company was to Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation with the brands WHITEGMC and Autocar. 1995 from WHITEGMC Volvo. In 1997, Volvo the proportion of GM in the company and once again changed the name to Volvo Trucks North America. 2001, the trademark rights to Autocar as well as some truck models were sold to Grand Vehicle Works Holdings LLC ( GVW). Since then, all of the Group's trucks in North America are sold as Volvo.
Mack Trucks is one of the largest manufacturer of heavy trucks and truck components in North America. The company had since 1991 wholly-owned by Renault. In 2000, Volvo AB, the company Renault Véhicules Industriels ( RVI ) acquired (now Renault Trucks ) including Mack Trucks in North America.
UD Nissan Diesel was almost completely taken over in 2007 by Volvo. Nissan Diesel manufactures trucks and buses in Japan.
Volvo F 407 with a stand- Club Cab
Volvo F 12
Tractor with tractor type Volvo FH
Road Train with tractor type Volvo VN
RV based on the Volvo VN
Buses and Coaches
In 1928 the first bus was manufactured based on a lorry chassis. In the 1940s, increasing its own chassis developed specifically for buses, first with the coach body built front engine. The first diesel engine from Volvo ( VDA) was established in 1945, he replaced the " Hesselman " engine, which was a umkonstruierter gasoline engine with low compression for tax-privileged operation with heavy fuel and ignition with high-performance spark plugs. 1950/51 came to different customer requests the respective first Volvo bus chassis with rear engine ( B645 Stockholm ) and with central engine ( B655 for Odense). The mid-engine design was due to the balanced weight distribution for a long time preferred at Volvo: Chassis types B655 ( 1951-64 ), B755 ( 1963-65 ), B58 ( 1966-1980 ), B10M ( from 1979) and C10M ( first complete luxury coach Volvo, 1984). The first rear-engine chassis that were mass-produced at Volvo were the B59 ( 1971-79 ). This was followed by B10R ( 1978-92 ) and B10B ( from 1992). But bus chassis with front engine continues to be produced, most recently especially for export ( Norway, America, Asia ): B625 ( 1949-51 ), B725 ( 1952-62 ), B705 ( 1958-64 ), B715 (1962 - 65), B750 ( 1962-65 ), B54 ( 1966-71 ), B57 ( 1966-83 ), B609 ( 1976-78 ), B6F ( 1978-88 ) and B7F.
After 1968, the Volvo Bus Division was established as independent department in the company, this 1983 Volvo Bus Corporation (VBC ) is an independent subsidiary of the Volvo Group. Already in the 1970s, operating the Volvo importer of UK Jim McKelvie the Ailsa Truck Company in Scotland, of which Volvo took over the majority of shares. This front-engine chassis were produced as a basis for the presently preferred double-decker buses as Ailsa B55 1974-1985.
As before, the chassis for travel and buses using components such as motors of the bigger truck "sister" were made , the bodies were of ( independent ) body manufacturers (eg the Finnish company Wiima that over the Carrus Group 1998 Volvo was made ). In 1981, the Swedish bodybuilder Höglund was acquired in Saffle, so Volvo could now offer complete buses. In March 1988, Volvo took over the British manufacturer Leyland bus sector. In 1990 Volvo 75 % of the Austrian Steyr Bus GmbH, which mainly urban and intercity buses produced for the Austrian market. The acquisition of the German coach body manufacturer Drögmöller was ultimately not as successful. 1994 Volvo acquired the formerly belonging to Leyland Danish Busaufbauhersteller Aabenraa Kässbohrer. In 1995, the Canadian Volvo Coach Brand Prévost in conjunction with the British Henly group at the Volvo for its part, took part with ten percent. 1998 saw the acquisition of the North American also bus manufacturer Nova Bus and the Mexicana de Autobuses Anonima ( MASA ) in Mexico.
Today, Volvo Buses is the world's second largest manufacturer of bus chassis and complete buses with works in Sweden ( Borås ), Poland ( Wrocław), Brazil ( Curitiba ), Mexico ( " MASA " ), Canada ( Quebec, " Prevost " ) and China ( " Xian Silver Bus" ).
Current bus models from Volvo are Volvo 7700, Volvo 8700, Volvo 9700, Volvo 9900, also the types of chassis B6BLE are ( rear engine, Low Entry ) B7RLE, B7L (for low- floor buses, as articulated ) B7TL ( for double-deck buses), B10L, B12B ( rear engine ) and B12M ( mid-engine ) are offered.
Meanings of the names of bus chassis
The chassis types for buses start with a B, followed by a series designation and finally shortcut with the following meanings:
- A: Articulated Articulated =
- B: " Bak " = longitudinal mounted rear engine
- BLE: longitudinal mounted rear engine, Low Entry
- F: Front Engine
- L: lateral / longitudinal mounted rear engine
- M: Longitudinal mid-engine mounted lying
- R: Longitudinal mounted rear engine
- RLE: longitudinal mounted rear engine, Low Entry
- S: Side-mounted mid-engine, also known as Low Entry
- T: double-decker chassis ( " Tvär " = transverse mounted rear engine )
Trolleybuses
When trolleybus Linz since 2000/ 01 run together 20 joint trolleybuses of the type V 7000 AT, this type is only to be found there. It is based on the omnibus model B7LA, the electrical equipment was supplied by Kiepe. In Szeged, Hungary, a solo trolleybus, which was rebuilt in 2004 in the workshop of the local transport operators from a conventional diesel bus exists. The loner now bears the type designation B7 TR12/TV.PR. , Its electrics comes from Cegelec. When trolleybus Wellington in New Zealand, the last Volvo trolleybuses were, however, retired in 2009.
Boat Motors and Drives
The company was established Volvo Penta 1930 with the acquisition of the majority shareholding in the Penta - works. It provides engines and complete drive systems for marine and industrial applications. The Penta - works initially delivered the engines for the first Volvo cars, Volvo as its vehicle production began as a pure body and chassis manufacturers, without making himself engines. These first cars in the company's history were indeed built and marketed by Volvo, but on the coolers was the word Penta. Due to the global economic problems in the late 1920s the company Penta ran into financial difficulties. Since Volvo 's engine suppliers did not want to lose, Volvo Penta with a rose and stroked the word " Penta" of the radiator grilles of its automobiles. Also based in Gothenburg - - 1935, the company Volvo Penta was officially established. The best-known developments of Volvo Penta were the " Aquamatic ", a revolutionary combination of inner and outer border, the duoprop drive system and presented in 2005 a tractor propeller IPS solutions for fast leisure boats. In addition, the company Penta was in 1922 the first manufacturer of outboard motors in Europe. However, Volvo Penta announced the production of outboard engines in the course of the Second World War at the time being.
In the Volvo Ocean Race 2001/2002, each participating in the race sailing yacht had two Volvo Penta drive motors - for emergencies - on board.
Engines from the program Volvo Penta are out in the trucks from Volvo and look for Renault commercial vehicles.
Other Group companies
Volvo Aero develops and manufactures high-tech components for civilian aviation and jet engines. The company develops, manufactures and services also jet engines for the Swedish Air Force. Formerly called Volvo Aero Volvo Flygmotor and was built in 1941 by the acquisition of the majority shareholding in Svenska AB Flygmotor. Volvo Aero produced, among others, the jet engine for the interceptor Saab Viggen JA37B and developed rocket motors and nozzles. Volvo Aero was mid-2012 GKN, a British automotive and aerospace supplier, acquired for 633 million British pounds ( 788 million euros ).
Volvo Construction Equipment develops, manufactures, and markets construction (including excavators, loaders, mobile excavators, dumpers, motor graders and backhoes), and has spring the road machinery business ABG acquired General Construction Company of Ingersoll Rand 2007.
Volvo Financial Services provides comprehensive services in the areas of customer financing, insurance, property management and other financial services.
Volvo AB Personvagnar
The group's original core business was sold in 1999 to Ford, which sold the "Volvo Car Corporation " again in 2010 to Geely.
At the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis, the ailing U.S. parent company Ford had offered the subsidiary Volvo Cars for sale than basic red numbers were called at the Volvo car production. End of 2009, Ford was known to sell the "Volvo Car Corporation " to the Chinese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer Geely. The contract was signed at the end of March 2010. The purchase price was $ 1.8 billion.
Cooperations
Since 2010, Volvo has a cooperation with the insurance HDI Direkt. Distributor of Volvo have be registered as an insurance agent in the register of intermediaries to sell car policies can. Thus, a portion of revenues to be generated in the future. HDI Direkt hoping to gain another market.