Fokker Elmo is Actively Pursuing Supporting Roles in Turkish Initiatives
Defence Turkey: How did Fokker Technologies and Fokker Elmo Turkey specifically perform operationally in 2012?
If we evaluate our performance over the last few years, Fokker Technologies has been able to show a stable organic growth in all its subsidiaries. Fokker Elmo is currently on both commercial aerospace and Defence platforms proudly supporting the major OEM’s in their challenges of developing new platforms and providing an affordable solution for the end users. For the Defence customers, Fokker Elmo Turkey is demonstrating to be an important contributor in creating high quality electrical systems for several airplanes, helicopters and aircraft engines.
Defence Turkey: How much progress did your company achieve from IDEF 2011 to IDEF 2013?
From Fokker Technologies perspective significant progress has been made together with existing and new customers on exciting new programs. Comprehensive steps forward were made in the emerging markets. The expansion of our global footprint is ongoing in Mexico, China and Turkey. Innovation wise we are also excited about several new products, materials and services we are bringing in the industry.
At Fokker Elmo we also made strong progress with existing and new customers. In addition to our current position in the ever growing market segment of the single aisle aircraft with Airbus (A320) and Boeing (737) significant efforts are being directed to support the development of the new Bombardier CSeries program which is scheduled for first flight in June of this year. Our strong performance on Lockheed Martin (F35 & F-16) and Boeing (P-8) is helping to sustain the Defence business side of our portfolio.
For Fokker Elmo Turkey specifically the past years have been a very exciting journey. In the end of 2012, we have celebrated our five year anniversary, while we again more than doubled our revenues from 2011 to 2013, with significantly more customers and programs to work on. We have successfully increased our work share of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon program and transferred a major Airbus A400M work-package to our Izmir facility. Currently we are working with more than 200 people in our Izmir plant supporting most major OEM’s worldwide, such as Airbus, Agusta Westland, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney / UTC Aerospace Systems. We can proudly say that some of the world highest profile Defence programs are now receiving their wiring systems directly from Turkey.
Defence Turkey: What is the Fokker Elmo’s expectations in the present and future aerospace projects in Turkey?
Fokker Elmo Turkey is very fortunate to have contracted programs that will continue to grow in production rate for the coming years, thus ensuring a healthy development for the company. In addition, the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program is a promising extra work package, for which we were selected as preferred supplier by Sikorsky.
Defence Turkey: Since electrical systems traditionally were designed and built by the OEM’s themselves, what role does Fokker Elmo have in the product design?
Since the OEM’s are now involving more industry specialists in their design processes, they see opportunities that also benefit from our experience and combine the integrator knowledge of Fokker Elmo with their own expertise. In our business the design activities typically still take place on-site at the customer, due to the significant interaction that is needed with all other disciplines. Also, the Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) is very exposed to changes in the aircraft structure environment as well as on System Architecture. Our engineers will typically integrate into the design teams at the customer location to follow the maturation of the design and immediately adapt our EWIS system design. We feature a proprietary tool for this, called WDMS (Wiring Design and Manufacturing System), which has the unique capability to integrate the product definition of the wiring harness system with the 3D design and the aircraft System Architecture. Currently Fokker Elmo employs almost 200 design engineers which are deployed at the various Fokker Elmo and customer locations worldwide. Since this helps our customers most, our R&D activities are typically aimed at developing (more) advanced software and processes for EWIS and aircraft topology of the electrical system.
Defence Turkey: What is an important area for Fokker Elmo Turkey to focus on in the future?
Our main focus will be on continuous improvement processes for our operations, since we have a lot of affordability initiatives together with our customers. The lean production philosophy is the back bone of this approach. This combines our natural attitude of listening closely to our customer’s requirements and apply proven techniques to further optimize our processes. We are convinced this will enable us to grow further and keep being successful in our current programs while creating excellent future business opportunities for Fokker Elmo Turkey and its customers.
Defence Turkey: You are assuming important responsibilities also in many export projects at the military and commercial aerospace industries. Could you tell us a bit about the platforms which you will cooperate for the provisions of the aircraft harnessing sets?
The platforms we provide wiring harnesses for, are all very technologically advanced. This means they involve/use the latest techniques available on the market to achieve an optimal performance in the task and roles as defined by the end-users. We need to combine latest design requirements, an outstanding quality level with challenging new combinations of all types of materials, techniques and processes. The very demanding requirements on the systems are leaving less margin for deviation. Next to this, all of these programs have demanding schedules, since the end-users are eager to start operating the new platforms and there is constant pressure for affordability initiatives to complete the challenge for Fokker Elmo and its suppliers.
Defence Turkey: Aerospace is a very international business, but are there also projects you are working with Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) or other Turkish companies?
Currently Fokker Elmo Turkey is already delivering F35 harnesses under contract with Lockheed Martin to TAI. Additionally, to further support the installation activities, we are preparing a training program for TAI employees for the standard activities taking place at installation of the wiring harnesses. For more complicated rework or last minute changes, on-site support can be provided through a special working party from our Izmir plant. This will enable us to have all required tools and spare parts available, that can optimally support the assembly process taking place at TAI.
For the near future, we foresee to build on this relationship through the Turkish Utility Helicopter Project in which we are teamed up with Mege Teknik of Ankara to support the electrical system (wiring & junction boxes) for this Turkish version of the Blackhawk. We anticipate that this project will also enable us to transfer a significant part of the procured components from domestic US suppliers to capable Turkish suppliers.
Defence Turkey: What are Fokker Elmo’s goals in the international aerospace sector arena?
Fokker Elmo wants to progress its leadership in design and manufacture of electrical connection systems for the aerospace market. Our current global setup was designed to support our customers optimally in the start phase of projects and beyond. With the engineering suppor our customer get at their locations and our Netherlands facility, followed by production options in the recurring phase in the Netherlands, China (commercial) and Turkey (Defence). After delivery support during installation and after sales service, we feel we are accommodating our customer’s current needs. Future developments in the international aerospace arena might lead us to extend our business proposition options for our customers to be able to accommodate our customer’s needs in this continuously developing aerospace industry. Therefore Fokker Elmo is closely following all exciting new developments in all major aerospace markets like Brazil, Russia, China and India.
Defence Turkey: What is your strategic business plan to grow your business volume within the booming of the Turkish aerospace and Defence sector in a near future?
Turkish industry looks to be well positioned and very determined to make the foreseen development materialize. As we do in other strongly evolving markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, Fokker Elmo is actively pursuing supporting roles in Turkish initiatives. In the Aerospace and Defence industry the wiring systems have become increasingly complex - so complex that major aircraft manufacturers and airworthiness authorities now recognize that these wiring systems are no longer commodities, but full aircraft systems. Recognizing our proven performance, Fokker Elmo remains completely focused on all competences needed to meet the ever increasing demands of the Aerospace industry. We are convinced that our competences can support Turkish aerospace and Defence projects to be successful in both the Turkish and international market.
Defence Turkey: What can you share on the latest developments on the investment project which you planned to make at Izmir?
We have thoroughly analyzed all options for our best approach to accommodate the future growth of our Turkish facility. In our perspective Turkey remains to be a very attractive country for investments. Some of the reasons are its skilled, dedicated and ambitious human capital, good position globally and logistically, the affordable cost structure and excellent appetite for aerospace and Defence industry growth. Also all these facets are well supported by the SSM and ESBAŞ. Therefore we concluded that our Izmir plant was going to be best equipped for the future by a long term investment in a new building in the ESBAŞ Free Trade Zone in İzmir. In the past year we have temporary accommodated for our growth by expending our leased building in the Free Trade Zone. We have signed a contract with a construction company early April this year and the construction has started swiftly thereafter, since we are aiming to finish in December 2013. We are looking forward to be fully operational in our new building at the start of 2014.
Defence Turkey: How is your employment profile at the Fokker Elmo Turkey? Would you like to share with us some aspects of your human resource strategy?
Obviously, Fokker Elmo Turkey is an equal opportunity employer, strongly focused on the employee’s wellbeing, since they are the corner stone to our performance. In this new facility we will be equipped for the scheduled growth of the next years, where we will grow to become a 400+ employee company. Our specific type of activities, require a very precise hand eye coordination and a consistent high quality level. We have learned over the years that working with female operators gives very reliable outcomes. Besides the work of specialized assembly operators. We are also transferring more supporting functions to our Izmir plant, such as skilled engineers in planning, purchasing, lean techniques and production technology. We invest in our people, because we believe in developing our/their talents by specific training program, aimed to create a high performing current and future workforce. Since we are confident with the level of the locally available personnel, we are operating with only two foreign managers.
Defence Turkey: We learned that you are living with your family at Izmir and are developing your Turkish language. Would you like to share some of your experiences about living in Turkey?
Our time in Izmir has been a very positive experience since our first contacts early summer 2011. My family and I have received an extremely warm welcome from all people we interact with. The Turkish language has proven to be quite a challenge to master (for me), but I keep investing to continue my progress. On the other hand, more and more Turks are learning English, which I see as a very important development to successfully interact in our international (business) environment. Also we have had some opportunities to see some other areas in Turkey besides Izmir and we understand and admire the pride most Turks have about their business successes, history or ancient history combined with modern culture, country and their deeply founded hospitality.
