In vehicle production

Who is now pushing the pace at Rosenbauer

Thomas Biringer has been responsible for production at the firefighting equipment manufacturer as interim CEO since March.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Rosenbauer International (2))

Now that the supply chains have eased, Rosenbauer is busy reducing throughput times in vehicle production. One man is pulling the strings: Thomas Biringer, an optimization expert. At the same time, the company is also breaking new ground in terms of vehicle sales: they are now also offered in their own online store.

From thermal imaging cameras and helmets to gloves: Fire departments have been able to order equipment like this from Rosenbauer's online store for some time now. Anyone who recently visited the shop was amazed to see that four vehicle models can now be ordered from the Leonding-based company with just a few clicks.

"This is an important step for us to better market standardized products," says CEO Sebastian Wolf, who, together with the management and employees, is doing everything he can to get the company, which will soon be majority-owned by Robau, back on track.

Goal: seven percent faster again this year
While the focus was initially on cutting manufacturing costs, the focus is now on shortening delivery times. This year, these are to be reduced by seven percent compared to the previous year. This is to be made possible by Thomas Biringer, who has been working as interim Chief Production Officer at Rosenbauer since March.

The optimization expert has already achieved initial successes: in Europe, for example, delivery times have been reduced from 18 to 12 months. "We are working flat out to have less material in the yard and to get the vehicles out faster," emphasizes CFO Markus Richter.

Speed had been lost due to delays in electronic chips, chassis and the like. "Some of this can also be improved internally," says Wolf.