05/11 :: Starting shot for new manufacturing location! :: Helbako will produce part of its electronic control systems in Mexico. >> More 09/08 :: SPiCE-Target achieved :: Helbako obtains outstanding results for the assessment of Software development processes ... >> More 02/08 :: Third "BestPersZertifikat" for Helbako in a row :: Good HR work is a key to a company's success ... >> More 01/08 :: Sales record 2007 :: For Helbako, 2007 was a record year ... >> More 07/07 :: Schools Cooperation Network :: Flyer - Competition for the best marks ... >> More Archive		(05/07) Donation with far-sightedness Whether with the "Girls' Day" for female pupils or with their own training centre - Helbako is trying to fill the next generation with enthusiasm for technical vocations on a regional level. The technology-sponsorship of regional schools also belongs to the involvement of youth. Thus Helbako has just donated 20 new flat screens for the informatics room of the Heiligenhaus secondary modern school. The modernised equipment supports above all interested young people who lack technically sufficient possibilities to experiment in the private sphere.   (01/07) Joint venture with WITTE WITTE Automotive, manufacturer of automotive locking systems headquartered in Velbert, and Helbako have agreed to a joint venture. The objective of this partnership is to develop and produce a wide assortment of electronic and electro-mechanical systems for automotive manufacturers and suppliers. WITTE Automotive will provide expertise in developing and manufacturing hinges, drives, locks and handles for large and small production runs. Together with Helbako's competence in electronics, this cooperative effort promises to deliver innovative products to the European market. For example, plans call for focusing on the joint development of electrically powered trunk lids and intelligent exterior door handles.   The geographic proximity of WITTE and Helbako is an added advantage that will impact regional development, especially with respect to the newly established network "Key Region Velbert/Heiligenhaus".   Both companies are already benefiting from their joint undertaking. Common projects have already been successfully presented to many key customer accounts. (12/06) Helbako gets "best SME" award "Manufacturing Excellence" is what is behind the acronym "MX" of the annually presented "MX-Award". Having been a much-coveted business award in Britain for decades, since last year the MX-Award is also being presented in Germany to companies with an above-average performance that sets standards. In the category "SME" Helbako has now ranked No. 1 and got the coveted cup from the sponsor SAP. The award ceremony was preceded by a written selection process; the decision was taken after an on-site inspection of the company in Heiligenhaus by an expert jury. Helbako aside, DaimlerChrysler AG, Lange Uhren, Rational AG and Takat-Petri also got an award. www.mx-award.de (08/06) ISO/TS 16949: Helbako will get certification ISO/TS 16949 is the most important Regulation in the automobile industry for Quality management systems. It combines the most important worldwide QM norms and Quality systems requirements. Thus, internationally varied regulations (e.g. QS 9000 in the USA, VDA 6.1 in Germany, EAQF in France) are accommodated by a global standard. On the basis of ISO 9001 it sets additional requirements to management and organization systems: strategic business planning, manufacturing process development and stuff motivation are the examples of the assessed criteria. We have been applying these success factors not for a long time, but our methodic implementations would be proved by a successful audit procedure: Helbako will be ISO/TS 16949 certified. (08/06) Systems, components, innovations The 10th international professional congress "Progress in Automobile Electronics" informs from 20-21 September about the chances, risks and possibilities of the branch. 18 professional reports expect about 400 participants. Helbako is represented by a new pavilion and uses the information stock for presentation for its own success as well as for showing prospects and inspiring the latest trends in the branch and developments. Information about the program is available at www.elektronik-tagung.de. (07/06) Part of the party: Helbako and Football World Cup The Italians have become World Champions, the French - Vice-World Champions, and Germany - the World Champion of Hearts: 82 million German fans turned out the tournament into the greatest party the country had ever seen. Germany introduced itself to the world not only as a perfect host though more likely as a joyful, hot-tempered and venturesome nation.   Helbako also showed its interest in football: Together with the real tournament we organized an online World Cup Totalizator; many partners and companions visited our site to back against the field. 15 players reached 100 and more points.     Three best Tippers will be contacted soon and get their prizes: the first prize winner gets an entrance ticket for the Europe Cup qualification game of Germany and Ireland on 2, September in Stuttgart; a Helbako-Tippkick-Game goes to the second and third prize-winners of the second. Our best wishes and congratulations! (06/06) Cabrio-Forum with the participation of Helbako On Monday, 25th September 2006 the two-day professional forum Cabriolets 2006 organised by Car Training Institute (CTI) from Sulzbach/Ts. is starting in Salzburg. One of the international experts in Automobile R&D is the Head of Helbako Hardware Development Department Dr. Klaus Thelen. His report "From Alfa to Z4: Modular Solutions for Customer Specific Convertible ECU's" sheds light on the technical aspects of Development from ECUs (Electronic Control Units) for cabriolet top control. A special issue was the efficiency of development and manufacturing processes. The participants expect practical knowledge from the following topics:   Tailored solutions for various requirements of roof kinematics, sensors and actuators High flexibility meeting the current sets of engineering standards One stop solution: development and production process   Helbako's world market share in the area of electro-hydraulic cabriolet tops reaches approximately 25%.   See other information about this event at www.cabrio-forum.com (04/06) "BestPersAward" goes to Heiligenhaus What are the features that distinguish a good employer? An outstanding personnel management is, doubtless, one of them. Personnel development, business strategy, renumeration of labour and internal communication are only 4 of the 10 criteria on which the annual personnel management evaluation and model practice rewarding by Prisma Prof. Scholz GmbH are based. As present-year prize winners, 33 companies nationwide - among them Helbako GmbH - have been awarded the coveted "BestPersAward".   The panel of judges led by Prof. Dr. Christian Scholz of the University of Saarland appreciates the "high-quality personnel management of Helbako GmbH". A good compliment, but it marks something that has already been achieved. More valuable than the award itself is the accompanying detailed evaluation which provides us with benchmark data: the position of Helbako on the market, our strong and weak points. Our future task is to develop this potential. The certificate is a good motivation for it. (01/06) New Year - New Structure Together with the changes in the organizational structure of the project management announced at the beginning of the New Year we also change our address: sales department, project management and development departments will merge and will form a new Project Development Centre residing at Weilenburgstraße 24. In the next building No. 28 you can find the quality department as the central unit.   The location rearrangements insure direct communication inside project teams: problem questions and work coordination, which till now needed phone conversation or meeting, will be discussed directly "at the table". Additionally the closer relation between special departments and the sales department serves for greater efficiency and reliability already in the initial phase of work. Shorter response time and improved plans and shifting synchronization will help us to enhance what Helbako has always been excellent at: high flexibility.   Required structural changes will be made in January. All contact persons keep their old phone numbers and E-mail addresses. (11/05) And one more Award! Our newly designed Website is all fresh yet, but you can already see an award won by it. The Branch Information Service Auto-Manager regularly tests and rates the Websites of companies in the industry of automobile dealers. In collaboration with the branch magazine Automobil-Industrie and Business Consulting Company Accenture the awards for the best Internet representations are given by Website Challenge monthly. 116 points of www.helbako.de have led it to the victory in the month of November. The complete evaluation of the jury ("... the first place in November really deserved") can be found here. (10/05) Successful Performance Just a few days after the awarding of the "Small and Medium-Sized Business Grand Prize" Helbako could celebrate already the next honouring: two managers of Helbako Company, Ralf Burmester und Ulf Zimmermann, were declared Enterpreneurs of the Year in Mettmann District on October, 20. This prize is yearly awarded and pays tribute to "outstanding economical, public and social engagement" in the economic region with predomenantly small and medium-sized business. 450 guests of business and political circles have accepted the invitation to awarding gala in the municipal hall Ratinger, that was organized by Sparkasse Hilden-Ratingen-Velbert and Wirtschaftsblatt. The winner have been presented with a work of the worldwide recognised artist Felix Droese, which was created specially for this occasion. f. l.: Dr. Jan Heinisch, mayor of Heiligenhaus city; Jochen Oelmann, director of Wirtschaftsblatt; Ralf Burmester, Ulf Zimmermann, both from HELBAKO Plc; Ralf Fleischer, chairman of the bord of Sparkasse Hilden-Ratingen-Velbert. Photo: Achim Blazy (09/05) An "Oskar" for Helbako On September 10, Helbako GmbH was awarded the Grosser Preis des Mittelstandes, a prize awarded to outstanding SMEs by the Oskar Patzelt Foundation in Germany. The panel of judges selected the most successful companies in Germany from over 2,500 nominations. Outstanding performance was evaluated on the basis of five criteria: 1. Overall development of the company 2. Creation and protection of jobs and traineeships/apprenticeships 3. Innovation and modernisation 4. Commitment to the local region 5. Service, customer focus, marketing A total of 17 first prizes were awarded across Germany. One of which now takes pride of place here in Heiligenhaus. (09/05) Welcome to Frankfurt! The 61st International Motor Show (IAA) is throwing open its doors once again. We are looking forward to welcoming Helbako associates at our stand. With our brand new stand concept, we hope to offer fresh new impetus for the joint development of new ideas. And speaking of fresh, our cocktail mixer will be there once again to provide healthy refreshment for all. So why not pop by for a top-up of vitamins? We can be found in Hall 4.1 (Stand A41). (09/05) Goodbye to the red pen The relaunch is complete: after just over two years, we have given our website an extensive facelift, updated figures and added new content. This also means saying goodbye to the temporary web pages that boosted our website statistics over the last few weeks - until the new site was completed, we had instructed our internet agency to correct the old website with a red pen, an idea that appeared as a surfing tip on many weblogs. But all good things must come to an end and our sincere thanks go to everyone who visited the website during this time.