Knorr-Bremse’s 120-year history began in Berlin, Germany.
Founded by Georg Knorr in 1905, the company entered the commercial vehicle systems market with a design for the pioneering K1 freight train rapid release brake. Following a string of breakthrough inventions, successful patent filings, an expanded product line and international outreach eventually spanning 30 countries – including Australia through its arrival in 1987 – Knorr-Bremse remains a manufacturing powerhouse in today’s competitive market.
On a more domestic scale, Knorr-Bremse Australia has also enjoyed continued success. Operating within the country for nearly 40 years, the division has amassed over 450 employees across six sites. However, the company outgrew its two production sites in Granville, New South Wales, and Keysborough, Victoria, as the business sustained its growth. This ultimately led to its move into one consolidated facility which will propel the business into the future and accommodate the growth expected in the years to come.
“The CVS business has had some really good growth over the last 10 years,” says Knorr-Bremse General Manager for the Commercial Vehicle Systems (CVS) division in Australia, Michael Roche. “If I look back to 2015, our turnover has grown by nearly 150 per cent since then. We’ve outgrown the facilities that we were previously in.”
Knorr-Bremse Australia’s expansions have enabled the company to consolidate all facets of its business under one roof in Victoria. The new Dandenong South site consists of a 2,500-square-metre warehouse with an additional 367 square metres of office space.
“We’ve consolidated all of our business and put it into a bigger one-site facility where we can now distribute all of our parts and do all of our production, kitting and configuration activities out of the same location,” Michael says. “We chose this site because it’s closer to the transport hub in Melbourne where the majority of our customer base, being trailer and prime mover OEMs, are. So, we can optimise our processes and service our customers more effectively out of this one facility.”
In addition to this, the location gives Knorr-Bremse better opportunities to develop products locally, test technologies in-house and train customers on its offerings.
“That was taken into consideration with the move,” says Knorr-Bremse Technical Operations Manager for the CVS division, Ronnie John. “We have a dedicated space for in-house testing. Moving forward, we want to transform it into a training room with technology which our engineers will be able to trial and test, as well as using it to train external service partners and customers.”
Meanwhile, Knorr-Bremse’s Granville site continues to house the rail and HVAC divisions, with CVS retaining a smaller administrative presence there. Ronnie explains that this shift played a key role in the design of the new facility in Dandenong South.
“It was a blessing for us to be in the previous facility as we were able to understand the restrictions of what we had and what we couldn’t do,” he says. “Once we started migrating to the new site, we made sure we took those restrictions into consideration.
“We strategically allocated fast-moving goods to easily accessible areas and optimised our operations to be more efficient and user-friendly. This allows us to work more effectively with a strong focus on improving overall productivity and ensuring a smooth workflow.”
Prior to the move, Michael, Ronnie and the Knorr-Bremse team had discussions on an ongoing basis to understand where the business was growing. With space being the biggest constraint, it was clear to them that notable investments would be needed.
“We’ve made a significant investment into this brand-new, state-of-the-art facility”, Michael says, “and we will continue to invest in our business, whether that’s through our people, tools, resources or new technologies.
“We’ll upgrade to cutting-edge racking and shuttle systems, and beyond that, we’ll invest into ourselves from a green perspective. For example, we’re exploring the installation of solar panels on the roof to ensure we operate as a sustainable business.”
Ronnie attests to the company’s shift to more sustainable practices, explaining that the new site presented a great way to consider different methods of production.
“We did a lot of things to incorporate more efficient and eco-friendly features when we initially moved,” he says. “When adding the lighting, for example, we made sure they were LED.
“Waste reduction is another one of our main concerns, so we implemented recycling programs and we’re also reducing excess packaging.”
In addition to amplifying production and distribution capabilities for the company, Knorr-Bremse’s myriad investments into the new Dandenong South site stand to deliver numerous benefits for customers. The facility’s new size advantage provides the ability for the company to better manage its internal processes and prepare parts for delivery at a much faster rate, without needing to divert attention to other product manufacturing like at the previous site.
This streamlined process enables a better response to urgent customer requirements, as Knorr-Bremse is able to focus entirely on relevant orders that come through and is much more adaptable to sudden changes in production.
While upgrading the business’ manufacturing scale is an impressive achievement in its own right, the fact that its occurrence aligns with a major anniversary makes the success that much sweeter for Knorr-Bremse.
“Knorr-Bremse is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, so it’s exciting that we’ve been able to expand this year,” Michael says. “It’s a milestone year for us, but it’s also the milestone of being able to control our own business, processes and systems in order to continue on the same growth trajectory we’ve been on.”
The relocation of Knorr-Bremse’s headquarters in Australia is a testament to the company’s growth and relentless ambition to drive progress. Equipped with the right resources and a committed team in place, Knorr-Bremse is well-positioned to continue advancing in the commercial vehicle systems sector – it won’t be pumping the brakes any time soon.
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