Q&A with Denis Bardou
Vice President and General Manager, European Components
Executive in Charge of Europe

Q.  Metaldyne sees great opportunity for growth in Europe. What is your overall strategy to gain business in that region?

A. Europe is a very competitive market and a large player in the global economy. Our customers are growing here and see great opportunity in Eastern Europe and Russia. They place high demands on their suppliers to deliver low cost, high quality, innovative products and processes. They also view trust and reliability as essential.

To best meet those customer demands Metaldyne remains focused on products and technologies that bring a competitive advantage to our customers. We have a strong portfolio of products that our customers demand today and we work closely with those customers every day to make sure we understand their future needs.

Q. How is the business environment different in Europe?

A. The business environment is the same worldwide. There are stable, well equipped markets and growing markets. The real issues are how to identify the winners and losers in those markets and how to decide which products and companies are driving the change and which ones are driven by the change.

The issues that influence product today are quality, safety and energy.

Q. Providing “green” products is key to gaining business in Europe as well as other places in the world. What products does Metaldyne provide for alternative energy vehicles?

A. Metaldyne has a huge competitive advantage in its ability to provide “green” products. Our cold forging and sintering technologies use less steel, which reduces weight and energy consumption and makes these products very attractive for our customers

Metaldyne also produces products, such as dampers and connecting rods that fit very well in the new engines. In addition, our knuckles help reduce weight.

Q. How is Metaldyne growing in Europe?

A. Metaldyne has a very strong base to build on globally. We have a global footprint, strong technical centers, high-performing people, dedicated teams and a diverse workforce. Our people speak many languages and come from many different cultures. We believe that diversity is our strength and our competitive advantage.

Q. What technologies do you believe the European automakers will demand in 10 years?

A. The rising cost of oil is quickly changing what vehicles consumers want and what products our customers demand to meet those consumer desires. Low energy consumption will be essential so our products must continue to reduce weight and energy use. Stop-and-go starters, hybrid engines and smaller vehicles are the future .

However, we cannot rest. We are working on products that have applications with fully equipped wheels, completely developed electronic engines and steering systems with increasing amount of electronic control.

Q. How do you build strong relationships with customers in Europe?

A. There is no secret here. The main words are trust, reliability and integrity. Those attributes are essential to forming relationships in business and in one’s personal life.

We also need to show our customers we have a capacity for innovation and are committed to quality and reliability in our products and our company.

We have a strong team in Europe that is committed to collaboration with our counterparts worldwide. We believe Metaldyne’s ability to collaborate and to share ideas across the entire company differentiates us from our competitors and ensures the success of our company.

The most important thing to remember is that we are customer driven, and responding to that drive is key to our success.

Related Links
Metaldyne Europe
Learn more about Metaldyne in Europe

Executive Profile
Learn more about Denis Bardou