Category: Blogs

Last year, we launched a global Scholarship Program to help provide career pathways and assist with educational expenses for high-performing university students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study. 2023 is the first full year of the program and we’ve seen encouraging progress across all participating markets, with 32 scholarships already awarded and plenty more to come.

The Scholarship Program is aimed at underrepresented minority groups and students from low-income families, and is initially being rolled out in five of our key recruitment markets – USA, Germany, Poland, Mexico and China.

In Poland, two female students, Monika Swieciochowska and Klaudia Piwowarczy, were recently awarded two-year scholarships at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, while Zuzanna Szczelina and Kinga Mycek have been selected at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. All four of these students were chosen by their universities on account of their outstanding academic performance.

It’s a similar success story in China, where we’re working with three universities – close to our facilities in Shanghai, Changchun and Tianjin – to support 26 students as part of the initiative. Our Chinese team partnered with the universities to select female STEM students from low-income families or with excellent academic credentials.

There’s still work to be done in Germany, where the goal is to bring seven students onto the program. Currently, there are two female students from The Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and Stiftung der deutschen Wirtschaft enrolled, with the next selection planned for the end of the first quarter of 2023. Scholarship participants in Germany will also benefit from extra-curricular experiences, including a tour of the Rastatt E-Mobility Innovation Center and the opportunity to attend engineering networking events.

In the USA, work is also well underway. We have partnered with NACME (National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering), with a view to providing three students a place on the Scholarship Program. To be eligible, students need to meet the minimum GPA of 3.0, and will be interviewed by three TIFS representatives to assess their suitability for the program.

Finally, we are making great strides in Mexico, where our goal is to provide 20 scholarships for top performing female students from low-income backgrounds. We have already struck up partnerships with two first-class institutions, the Technological University of San Luis Potosi and the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, with each university committing to 10 scholarships each. The application process in Mexico is ongoing, so watch this space for news of the successful students.

Investing in the next generation of talent is critical to the ongoing success of our business, so projects such as the Scholarship Program are a positive step in securing our future. It is also especially important that we provide opportunities to underprivileged and underrepresented groups to ensure TI Fluid Systems is a diverse and inclusive place to work.

The month of February is observed and celebrated as Black History Month across the US and Canada. To mark the occasion this year and to ensure that TI Fluid Systems joined in the celebrations, the US/Canada Diversity and Inclusion Committee organized a special program on the afternoon of February 23^rd at the company’s corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills.

The guest of honor was Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr., a Detroit based historian, musician, storyteller and teacher, who spoke about African American History in the US, accentuating the narrative with music.

Introducing the special guest, Hans Dieltjens, the President and CEO, made the point that TI Fluid Systems is committed to the practice of Diversity and Inclusion across the globe. “This celebration of Black History Month is a good event, not only to recognize the value of African American employees at TIFS, but also to appreciate and celebrate the courage, persistence and valuable contributions of the African American community to the US and the world,” he said.

Rev. Jones opened his narrative with the observation that American history is black history and vice versa. Starting with his fascination about black spiritual music as a young boy growing up in Detroit, Rev. Jones informed and entertained the audience with tales of the African American experience in America, from the 17^th century all the way up to the present.

Rev. Jones said that music was the thread that knit this nation together, with black slaves using whatever objects they could, fashioned instruments like the banjo, to make music. Their music was not written down and was handed down from generation to generation. As each generation grew and expanded, their own experiences transformed the musical landscape of America, giving rise to new forms of music such as the Blues, Country Music, Jazz and Rock n Roll. He shared the stories brave pioneers of the emancipation, the underground railroad and the civil rights movement, like Harriet Tubman and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He recounted the influence of black musicians such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and Mahelia Jackson.

Rev. Jones was joined by his daughter Arnecia in singing several of these historical songs in multiple musical styles. He accompanied his own singing on multiple instruments, switching between guitar, harmonica, banjo and violin. Rev. Jones rendered a spontaneous song about TI Fluid Systems, called TI Fluid Systems Blues, which he made up on the spot, to the great delight of the audience.

Thank you to everybody involved in making this important event a roaring success and a wonderful celebration of the African American community in our business and in the wider world.

At the beginning of February, we held our 2023 Global Management Meeting in Ettlingen, Germany. The three-day event was attended by various leaders from every region and division within the business, providing an ideal opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and share updates and ideas.

Due to Covid-19, the meeting hasn’t taken place since 2019, so it was particularly special to reconnect 60 senior members of the TI Fluid Systems team under one roof. But not just any roof – the summit began with a tour of our state-of-the-art E-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt. Attendees were able to get a real sense of this unique facility where we design, develop, simulate and visualize thermal management systems and components for electrified vehicles.

Day two saw President and CEO, Hans Dieltjens, welcome everybody to the summit and explain that the TIFS Mindset of ‘embracing change’ was to be a key theme of the event. Delegates were then brought up to speed on business strategy from a technology and commercial point of view, followed by comprehensive business updates.

The final day of the summit began with an insightful presentation from Arun Kohli, Author of “Effective Coaching and the Fallacy of Sustainable Change”. The guest speaker addressed the group on the concepts of leadership and embracing change, which led nicely into the management roundtable discussion on the same topics. Following a Q&A and open discussion session, the team was given an update from various subject matter experts in Safety, Environment, Quality, Purchasing, Program Management, IT, HR, and Marketing departments to conclude the summit.

The consensus among attendees this year was that they were especially pleased to have the opportunity to see their friends and colleagues from other departments across the world. Collaboration is such an important component in any global business, and events like this are what it’s all about. We’re already looking forward to next year’s summit!

Over the years, we have found that improved connectivity between members of staff and senior executives has had a profound impact on the synergy within the team. This has certainly been the case with the Women’s Empowerment Network, which was established to help foster closer relationships between women who work at TI Fluid Systems on all levels through networking, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.

The network has several key objectives. Firstly, it seeks to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment for the personal and professional growth of our female employees, whereby their standing in the business is considered solely on the basis of their abilities and aptitudes, and not their age, gender, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic origin. The network has also been regarded as a catalyst in encouraging and creating opportunities for open communication, with members implored to speak with others within the network. To aid with this, the members have been provided with a network of contacts that they can call upon. These contacts offer more than just a social purpose, offering advice and opportunities, accelerating professional development and for social connections.

With members in the United States, China, Japan and areas of Latin America, the network has groups all over the world. Recently, members of the United States group met at our corporate office in Auburn Hills, and for many, this was an opportunity to introduce themselves to others within the team. Female directors and executives were on-hand to discuss why the network was so important to them, before those in attendance were split into small groups to take part in some team building activities. The event was received extremely well by those in attendance, with many pleased to have met more women within the team and having more support at work as a result.

Opportunity is what TI Fluid Systems offers. We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace culture where diversity is valued, and diversity of experiences is appreciated.

Over our 100-year journey so far, we have recognised that our strength as a global automotive supplier is directly tied to the talent and diversity of our staff, management and Board leadership. Our current workforce consists of over 25,000 people worldwide, and while there are currently more men employed at TI Fluid Systems than women, we are proud that the gender split at the company is shrinking. Going forward, we will continue to strive to create a safe and inclusive workplace culture for all of our team.

In October last year, we invited guests from the German and UK media on a behind-the-scenes tour of our e-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt.

Our esteemed guests were treated to an introduction to the facility by Hans Dieltjens and Johannes Helmich, followed by a journey through our six core competencies. Engineers at the site did an admirable job of demonstrating our innovation and technical expertise, and the journalists were even able to get ‘hands on’ with a component assembly exercise.

Hosting an event such as this was a first for TI Fluid Systems, but as we forge ahead with our Take the Turn strategy, it is increasingly important that we tell the world our story. We have therefore been delighted by the coverage so far, which does an outstanding job of introducing the facility and explaining what it means for our business and the future of e-mobility.

For a succinct video summary of what went on at the event, have a look at this video that the team at the Institution of Engineering and Technology created: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D4WajcRsB0

We’ve also seen some extremely insightful and informative write-ups, in both English and German, from the likes of Automotive World, ATZ, Automobil-Industrie, KÜS Magazin and Engineering & Technology:

Automotive World

Engineering & Technology

KÜS Magazin

Automobil-Industrie

ATZ

We’re still expecting further coverage over the next couple of months, so keep an eye out for updates.

Thanks again to everyone involved in making our first ever media event a huge success.

100 years. If you take a moment to contemplate how long that really is and how much has changed in the past century, perhaps you’ll be able to acknowledge just how impressive it is for a business to endure for so long. Such durability requires so many understated attributes; innovation, resilience, flexibility, and application, to name a few.

2022 has seen us proudly commemorate our 100-year anniversary. We will celebrate by holding a series of commemorative events across our locations around the world and publishing a limited edition centennial book that takes a deeper dive into our illustrious history.

We’ve experienced our fair share of industry challenges since we were founded as the Harry Bundy Company some 100 years ago, but the aforementioned attributes have stood us in good stead on our journey. From Harry Bundy himself to our current President and CEO, Hans Dieltjens, we’ve been extremely fortunate throughout this journey to have consistently had a team that embodies these values, which today are reflected in all we do.

In the past 100 years, we have been faced with and shaped by five automotive megatrends, all of which have brought with them significant upheaval to the sector and have required an innovative response. The first of these was fuel, second hydraulic braking, third air conditioning, and then emissions reduction. The TI team of today are currently dealing with the fifth and most recent development, the electrification of the vehicle powertrain, and are tackling this with great success. Our Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer, Dom Milicia, noted that: “Electrification is a disruptive change in the automotive industry and will reward companies with an innovative attitude. As leaders in automotive fluid handling, it is a huge opportunity for TI Fluid Systems to adapt our technologies to rise to the challenge.”

Our strategy to maximise this opportunity is called Take the Turn. Under this strategy, we are already enhancing our capacity and capabilities to meet the changing demands of customers all over the world. Take the Turn is made up of three elements: Technology – our focus on vehicle electrification; Transformation – our commitment to a more sustainable business; and Talent – our investment in people and learning.

Over the last 100 years, we’ve endeavoured to build close relationships with our customers, and, as Hans Dieltjens acknowledges, it is these relationships that will see us move forward into the electrified age. “Building strong relationships with our customers is something that we have never compromised on in our 100 years of trading, and this will continue as we enter the next phase of our development as a company.”

Ultimately, the last 100 years have been about building towards the future. While it’s an honour to celebrate a century in business, our thoughts are immediately on gearing up for what comes next. As the curtain comes down on this centenary anniversary, we vow to build on the last 100 years in the next 100 years.

 

• TI Fluid Systems’ 2021 Sustainability Report sets out how its Take the Turn strategy supports the group’s sustainability and environmental, social, and governance initiatives
• Environmental commitments set out in the 2021 Sustainability Report include Scope 1 and 2 CO₂e emissions reductions, energy efficiency programs, and water conservation
• The group’s diversity and inclusion initiatives include gender hiring goals as well as a Women’s Network Mentoring Programme which provides opportunities for women across the global organisation to accelerate their careers
• The 2021 Sustainability Report is aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) standard

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan, USA (December 14, 2022) — TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) has today published its 2021 Sustainability Report underscoring its commitment to all aspects of sustainability. The first stand-alone Sustainability Report published by TI Fluid Systems is aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) standard and clearly sets out the company’s approach to its environmental responsibility and promoting the health and social wellbeing of its employees and the communities it operates in. It also highlights important environmental, social, and governance (ESG) achievements made by the company to date.

Sustainability is a key element of TI Fluid Systems’ Take the Turn strategy (T³) which addresses the risks and opportunities associated with the electrification of the automotive sector and the need to operate its business in a more sustainable manner. Take the Turn is made up of three elements: Technology – focusing on vehicle electrification; Transformation – committing to a more sustainable business; and Talent – investment in people and learning.

Technology

Product development to support the global automotive sector’s shift to electrification is a key element of the Take the Turn Strategy. TI Fluid Systems is capitalising on 100 years of experience in automotive fluid handling and management to develop efficient and economical thermal management systems for its OEM customers’ next generation of battery electric and hybrid vehicles. Since 2020, the company has held the London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark which recognises that it generates 50% or more of its total annual revenue from products that contribute to the global green economy. In 2021, TI Fluid Systems’ lifetime revenue of product bookings for battery electric and hybrid vehicles totaled €1.7 billion.

Transformation

TI Fluid Systems recognises that, while its products contribute to the electrification and decarbonisation of the automotive sector, it must also transform its own business operations to be more sustainable. In 2021, the company committed to a 37.5% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO₂e emissions by 2039, consistent with the Paris Agreement Well Below 2°C scenario through increased use of renewable electricity together with energy efficiency projects. The company is now considering updated science-based CO₂e targets consistent with a 1.5 °C scenario.

The company is also committed to reducing water use and protecting the quality of water in the communities where it operates. It is implementing a strategy to reduce water use and increase water conservation, with a particular focus on areas with water scarcity issues, including a commitment to reduce water use across some plants by up to 25% by 2030.

Transformation also includes improving how TI Fluid Systems engages with local communities through involvement and development. In addition to many local community and charitable projects, the company is in the process of establishing a scholarship programme in several countries to help local female students pursue further education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Talent

The third element of the Take the Turn strategy recognises that TI Fluid Systems’ success is directly linked to its ability to recruit, retain, motivate and develop a diverse and talented workforce. In 2021, it introduced the Fluid Learning online platform, providing all salaried employees access to a range of education and developmental tools.

In 2021 TI Fluid Systems also set up the Women’s Network Mentoring Programme which provides opportunities for women across the organisation to accelerate their careers, while creating meaningful connections with leaders. That same year, its manufacturing facility in Montornès, Spain, received the Lismivo Award which recognises support for diversity in the workforce.

Hans Dieltjens, President and CEO of TI Fluid Systems, said: “Publishing our inaugural Sustainability Report is an important milestone in our journey to becoming a more sustainable business. As well as developing our product portfolio in-line with the industry’s shift to electrification, we are committed to evaluating and improving every aspect of our company to ensure that we operate in the most sustainable and responsible manner possible. Our 2021 Sustainability Report highlights some key achievements that we can be proud of, but we know this is just the beginning. Guided by our Take the Turn strategy, I am confident that our direction of travel is the right one.”

To read the full 2021 Sustainability Report, click here.

About TI Fluid Systems

TI Fluid Systems is a leading global manufacturer of fluid storage, carrying and delivery systems primarily for the light duty automotive market. With nearly 100 years of automotive fluid systems experience, TI Fluid Systems has manufacturing facilities in 104 locations across 29 countries serving all major global OEMs.

For more information, visit www.tifluidsystems.com.

Between the 11^th and 13^th of October, a team of 15 TI Fluid Systems representatives exhibited the company’s products, services, and innovations to our customers and the wider automotive industry at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) 2022. Throughout the event, the company and our technologies were the subject of significant interest from our customers and fellow exhibitors, with our team involved in a series of constructive and promising business conversations. Of particular interest was the company’s Take The Turn strategy, which was showcased at the company’s booth.

The International Suppliers Fair (IZB) is Europe’s leading trade fair for the automotive supplier industry, and has become a major gathering for decision-makers over the years. Established in 2001, IZB is held every two years, with 2022’s event being the 11^th time that the automotive supplier industry has flocked to Germany to exhibit.

IZB 2022 was a resounding success for the industry – 953 companies across 37 countries exhibited, and approximately 43,000 people visited the exhibition. The event comprised six halls that were all populated with exhibitors, including the e-mobility section within hall one, where we set up our 60m² booth. Here, 15 TI experts from the company’s Engineering, Sales, Program Management, Product Management, and Business Development departments presented the company’s new generation technology, which focuses on electrification, and our Take The Turn strategy.

Across the event, our team hosted many of our customers at our booth. Numerous visitors mentioned that they were pleased to see that we have continued to focus on tank development and production, and others echoed this positive sentiment, noting that we are moving in the right direction.

Our thermal product strategy was also very well received. The team at Volkswagen were extremely pleased that we exhibited our system competencies and modular concepts for battery electric vehicles, for example, while our vertical integration approach was praised by visitors to the booth.

Our ITMA 1.X, IBFD and ITMS solutions were particularly popular, with Volkswagen staff appreciating our concept of combining coolant and refrigerant in one module. Exhibiting at IZB also demonstrated to us as a team that some of our practices set us apart from our competitors. We were reminded that the blow moulding technology we implement for our coolant modules is a unique selling point, with others applying injection moulding practices instead.

The exhibition has fueled excitement for what comes next in our journey. We’re delighted that the show generated so much interest in visiting our E-Mobility Innovation Center in Rastatt, Germany, and we look forward to hosting interested parties at the facility. IZB reiterated that we are on the right track, and so our next steps will centre on customer delivery, ensuring that we maintain our ability to always service the needs of our customers.

Many congratulations to the San Luis Potosí, Fuldabrück and Global Engineering teams for completing the installation of a new Multi-Layer Extrusion Line at our San Luis Potosí, Mexico plant.

The project began in Q1 last year, so its completion in May this year has been a long time in the making. The new machine will support production of fuel and coolant lines, giving us the capability to produce these products locally in Mexico. The machine is truly state of the art and will be able to produce up to six different layers of plastic.

Not only is this an important milestone in our localization initiative, it will also give the business a competitive advantage in the future, as Stefan Rau, Executive Vice President FCS, explains:

“The completion of this project is very important in the execution of our strategy. Thank you to everyone involved for all of your hard work. Next, we are to install a corrugated tube line in SLP, with the project set to finish next year.

“After this installation, we will add one high speed MLT line so that we can stop MLT production in Marysville. Having the MLT capacity and capabilities in Mexico, where we have the majority of our plastic system plant business, is absolutely essential, and we are making great strides towards our goal.”

The tragic events in Ukraine over the last two months have put everything in life into perspective. Business pales into insignificance at times like these.

Businesses can, however, help to unite people behind a common cause, and provide them with a platform from which to provide assistance. We saw that at times throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and that is exactly what we have seen again in response to the crisis in Ukraine.

At TI Fluid Systems, we are incredibly proud to work with such compassionate teams all over the world. Many of our employees have gone above and beyond to raise money and supplies for displaced Ukrainians. These efforts have taken place throughout the entire company’s network of global locations – it really has been a collaborative approach across the board.

An example of these phenomenal efforts comes from Poznan, where the TI team had a lasting impact on the city’s efforts to send goods to Ukrainian refugees. Volunteering at the Poznan International Fair and at the main railway station in the city, the team put their professional experience to good use, implementing changes to the refugee servicing process. These changes significantly accelerated the process of addressing the needs of those who have had to flee Ukraine.

The impact of the work undertaken by the TI staff was huge; the organisers of these efforts asked the team to train other volunteers to ensure that these standards were maintained. Many members of staff have insisted that, although the work was physically exhausting, it was worthwhile to meet the needs of those affected by the war. In Poznan, the TI team’s commitment has been incredible, and has been recognised by the Charitable Caritas Foundation and the local fire brigade, with both bodies awarding the team with certificates.

This support has extended further, beyond Poznan. In the Czech Republic, our team at Mlada Boleslav has played a crucial role in organising the delivery of essential goods to those in need. The team has also contributed financially to ensure that Ukrainian refugees don’t go without food, water, clothing, and shelter.

At our Jablonec site, our employees have donated money and supplies to the People in Need charity and have bought medical supplies and medicines that are to be shipped to Ukraine. The team have demonstrated their compassion by arranging for Ukrainian members of staff to have access to a meeting room to make free internet calls to their homeland, and by offering the relatives of these individuals employment.

Even further afield, in Telford, England, the team has sent multiple donations of essential items, ranging from medical supplies to baby equipment.

TI staff in Ukraine’s bordering countries have also demonstrated their solidarity with their neighbours, with many offering their homes and spare rooms to displaced Ukrainian people. This goodwill has extended throughout the entire company. So far, TI employees have contributed €33,500 to the Red Cross and to various organisations that have supported Ukrainian relief efforts. The company itself has added an extra €58,500 on top of this, taking our overall donation to €92,000.

We would like to say thank you to every single member of the team at TI Fluid Systems who has helped to support those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. You have done us and yourselves proud.