FLT Expands Production Base after Acquisition – interview

 

XCC Group, one of China’s most technological bearing manufacturers, has recently acquired FLT Polska, starting a new era for the FLT brand bearings. In this interview, the Bearing News team speaks with Mr. Sławomir Łukaszewski, the CEO of FLT Polska, to discuss the recent acquisition and the future outlook for FLT Polska.

Mr. Sławomir Łukaszewski,
          CEO of FLT Polska

Q: First of all, we would like to congratulate you with the new organization for FLT. Can you tell us more about the history and evolution of FLT and your role within the new organization?

FLT Polska has been operating in the bearings market since the 1950s – at the beginning as a part of Impexmetal company and since 1999 as a separate company named Impex-Lozyska. In 2007 the name changed to FLT Polska FLT POLSKA GROUP consists of foreign companies operating for many years in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, USA and China in bearings and bearing parts sector. XCC Group has strong bearing manufacturing capacity as biggest bearing rings supplier for SKF and Schaeffler, After FLT joined XCC Group family, and we will extend our service range for our customers because of XCC Group production and R&D base.

Q: What types, range and precision level of bearings, for which industry applications will FLT offer the market?

FLT focus on providing high precision, long- life roller bearing and technical service mainly for on and off-highway vehicles, industrial gear-boxes electric motors field. Our biggest customers are: Bonfiglioli, BPW, Dana, GKN, Carraro, SEW, Stellantis and others.

Q: To which regions and countries are you mainly exporting FLT bearings?

The biggest region of our sales is in Europe about 96% second is Asia and the third is North America.

Q: Will you mainly serve OEM and end-user companies? Are there any plans to establish a new global distributors network?

Yes it is about 95% of our sales are OEM customers. We are planning to extend our network in North and South America in the coming period ahead.

Q: How is the impact of the changing global supply chain strategies and increasing raw material prices on the market?

Raw material price increased approximately 40% last year. I do even not mention about cost of transportation, electricity, gas and labour costs, while end-users almost do not accept any price increases. It is currently a big challenge for the entire bearing manufacturer to keep costs under control. FLT engineers are working hard to provide our customers solutions which are resulting in cost reduction, and our production base continuously improve productivity, so I believe facing the tough competition it is a new opportunity of FLT growing.

Q: Beside the manufacturing of bearings, are there any design, engineering or related services that you offer?

XCC Group has vertical integration bearing production chain, beside bearings we can provide machined component such as gear-blank, special form shaft, precision large size Rollers, and unit like elevator sheave, one-way clutch and so on.

Q: How do you see the future of the industrial motion industries, in particular the bearing applications and the rising electrification of systems? Has this evolution an impact on your R&D or design processes?

We must follow up the tendency, electrification will impact industrial future, FLT is strong player in this field because we have developed and provide solutions of new energy car bearings, integrated unit of electric drive system many years, our R&D is benefit of electrification because FLT invested in this field already.

Q: What is the main difference of FLT from the competitor companies on the market?

FLT has good reputation and loyal clients especially in OEM field, because we are always close to our customers and can offer the flexibility, technical support, and competitive prices.

Q: What are your main plans for 2022 – 2023?

Our main targets are:

1. To extend cooperation with our major customers through signing the long-terms agreements
2. Participation in new projects by proposing technical solutions, based on our experience and expertise of our R&D facilities
3. Lower our cost by increased efficiency in order to stay competitive and propose our products to new customers
4. Despite all obstacles due the pandemic to quarantine just-in-time deliveries.

 

This article is published in BearingNews March 2022 issue

 

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