HANNOVER, Germany -- Bosch Automotive Group, the world’s second-largest auto supplier, expects a 25 percent increase in revenue this year to 27 billion euros about $35.30 billion).
Bernd Bohr, chairman of Bosch Automotive, hinted that the company will be profitable this year. Robert Bosch GmbH, the parent company, lost money last year for the first time in more than 60 years.
But Bohr said at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show here today, “It is clear we have returned to the path of growth, and that growth also means a clearly positive result.”
He said total revenue for the parent company will increase 20 percent to about 46 billion euros (about $60.15 billion at the current exchange rate).
“In general, our business figures are approaching their levels from 2007, the previous peak year, more quickly than expected,” Bohr said.
Bosch Automotive will add 5,000 employees this year, for a total of 165,000, he said.
Privately held Bosch kept its core work force intact despite last year’s catastrophic drop in auto sales, although it did put workers in Germany on reduced schedules. Bohr said those workers are returning to full schedules.
Bosch will have added 1,000 r&d employees by year end in Asia, where it is experiencing strong growth, Bohr said.
Bosch ranks No. 2 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global original-equipment parts suppliers, second to Toyota affiliate Denso Corp. Bosch generated estimated sales to automakers of $25.62 billion in 2009.
