TR Fastenings (TR) has opened a new Technical and Innovation Centre in Gothenburg, in the Lindhoven Science Park - a hub for automotive innovation.
The site will allow TR to achieve two main objectives: to form and enhance working relationships with key customers in the region, and to provide a showroom-style location where customers can visit, view fastener products and discuss design and manufacturing options with the TR team.
The Lindholmen Science Park is home to many of the key players developing forward-thinking solutions for the automotive market, including Electric Vehicle (EV) technology. From major OEM firms and IT software developers to technical and engineering teams from Tier 1 manufacturers, Lindholmen is fast becoming a hub for automotive innovation in Europe.
TR, owned by Trifast Plc, is a full service provider to the automotive industry, supplying and distributing fastener products to the Tier 1 market. TR’s global reach now extends to 31 sites, since the launch of the Gothenburg location and the recent acquisition of stainless steel supplier and distributor Precision Technology Supplies (PTS). Globally, TR supplies more than 50 billion components annually to over 5,000 customers and also produces over 8 billion parts per annum from its 8 manufacturing facilities worldwide.
“The Centre offers TR considerable potential in terms of business development: having a base here at Lindholmen sends a strong signal that we are committed to innovation, manufacturing excellence and automotive development in particular," said TR Sweden Business Development Manager Manoj Parmar. "There are so many exciting and successful companies operating in this space, and already, we’ve had excellent feedback from businesses who are keen to find out more about the role of fastening technology in the manufacturing process, and how our expertise can assist them in their own ventures.”
TR’s Technical and Innovation Centre comprises a showroom area, housing samples of TR products across 12 categories. Customers can examine the products and also see how they are assembled and used in product applications. There is also space to host meetings, where TR can discuss design and manufacturing strategy with customers, partners and OEMs.
TR started setting the centre up in November 2017, and initial meetings with customers and other companies across the Lindholmen Science Park have generated considerable positive feedback. Visitors are invited to view the facility, take a look at TR’s products and talk to the team about fastening technology, manufacturing trends and TR’s full service capabilities.
Eugen Kuhnl, Engineering Manager at TR Sweden, added: “It is so valuable for both us and our customers if we can be involved early on in the design process. We work closely with Tier 1 suppliers including assisting them with OEM requirements, and our expertise allows us to advise them on using the right fastening technology to get the best results. Having this platform in Gothenburg is an excellent opportunity for us to have those vital early conversations with customers and enable them to make profitable decisions.”
Pic credits: Lindholmen Science Park
