BWI Group Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary
It may be hard to believe, but 10 years have passed since BWI Group was born through the investments of Beijing’s Shougang Steel and the city of Fangshan, China. With a legacy dating back more than 100 years, BWI continues a tradition of excellence in both Suspension and Brake Systems.
In November of 2009, Beijing West Industries (BWI) debuted in the worldwide automotive market. With an existing portfolio of brake and suspension systems, including the well-known MagneRide® suspension, an established customer base, and a global footprint boasting several product development centers and production facilities, BWI was already well positioned for success. Shortly thereafter, having strong confidence that excellent customer service is a prerequisite for success, BWI invested in several new production facilities so that products could be quickly delivered to the right place at the right time.
In 2010, construction began on the first new production facility in Fangshan, China. The establishment of this manufacturing plant saw the involvement and cooperation of several BWI Group sites, developing multi-cultural relationships in the areas of product engineering, manufacturing and business development. Since then, production has increased in China with facilities in Liuzhou and Xiangtan. Moving to the west, a new manufacturing plant in Cheb, Czech Republic was opened to ensure smooth delivery to European customers, and in mid-2019, BWI proudly opened a new manufacturing facility in Greenfield, Indiana, the first for the company in the United States. These additions augmented an already strong production base in Shanghai, China, Krosno, Poland, Luton, England, and Chihuahua, Mexico. Systematic growth of manufacturing capacity has made BWI highly efficient in providing regional service in the world’s top three automotive markets.
BWI Group’s “Driving Technology” leadership is also reflected in the extension of its chassis product portfolio, a portfolio that continues to evolve to meet the needs of the traditional automotive market, as well as the rapidly changing automotive CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Safe, and Electric) marketplace. Towards this end, BWI Group teams have introduced lightweight damping components and high-performance damping devices, as well as producing products with innovative manufacturing processes. The active MagneRide system continues to evolve and has been complemented by the two-mode DualRide system in order to offer vehicle manufacturers a suite of ride and handling performance options. The stability and handling of the vehicle can be influenced by the BWI “umbrella of stability,” products that both enhance and increase safety, with the soon-to-launch 5th generation stability enhancement product, Dynamic Brake Controls 1280 (DBC 1280), and the 2nd generation electro-hydraulic brake product that provides a full suite of braking and safety functions.
BWI Group has evolved in the past 10 years: new facilities, new products, new customers, and new employees. If one thing is constant in the automotive industry today, it is change. But through it all, BWI Group will focus on delivering high value collaborative solutions to its customers.
