Not only in product development, but also in production, the focus must be on customer needs and the environment. This has always been the view of power supply manufacturer Puls. This is why the company started to establish two pillars for supplying its customers over twenty years ago: one in the Czech Republic and a second in China. In 2017, the acquisition of German market companion Etasyn - now Puls Vario - added another production site in Germany.

This strategy contrasts with the activities of many other companies over the last twenty years. Own plants in Europe were considered too expensive and as much as possible was outsourced to Asia. At Puls, however, reliable supply is the top priority. That is why the company has had an equivalent foothold in Europe since 1998. On the basis of this existing presence, the company can concentrate on expanding its capacities in order to continue to supply its customers reliably.

Sustainable investment in Europe

According to Puls, such a strategy for Europe is unique among electricity supply manufacturers. Just how serious the company is about this is also reflected in its planned investments. In total, it is budgeting an investment volume of 50 million euros for its main plant in Chomutov in the Czech Republic by 2024.

The company is planning to open a new building with almost 20,000 m² in 2024, tripling the production area compared to 2020. Puls's production capacity in Europe will therefore be around twice as large as at the Chinese plant.

Another large part of the investment will go into the automation and digitalization of production processes in order to compensate for the cost disadvantages of the European location compared to Asia. At the same time, the risk of a distant location in Asia will be reduced.

The fact that both factories, in Chomutov in the Czech Republic and Suzhou in China, have the same production facilities means that the power supplies can be manufactured flexibly at both locations.

© PULS

Puls is also aiming for LEED Gold certification for this new building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally recognized, multi-stage certification system for ecological construction. The certificate is issued in accordance with a detailed list of criteria for buildings in which special environmentally friendly measures have been taken. In 2010, the Puls plant in Suzhou, China, received the LEED Gold Award and was the fifth building in the whole of China to meet this standard.

Long-term strategy instead of short-term trend

These investments are part of a long-term corporate strategy based on safety, reliability and advanced technology. According to Puls, this also includes not being distracted by superficial, short-term trends.

In the area of production, this strategy can be seen in the way the company has increasingly harmonized its two factories in recent years. The same systems are used in both factories and the same work processes and standards apply. This allows the power supplies to be manufactured flexibly at both sites.

Almost all products are produced in parallel in both factories. Although this is more expensive, it provides security. Should one plant be restricted in operation or even fail completely, the redundancy with the second plant ensures reliability. In times of difficult logistics, proximity to the customer and short distances help to minimize this disruptive effect.

This risk management strategy has proven its worth during the Covid-19 pandemic, for example. Despite regionally high case numbers, lockdowns - first in China, later in the Czech Republic - and temporary plant closures, Puls was able to deliver throughout. Even if the major economic regions are expected to drift apart, the production presence in each region should allow for a flexible response.

Conclusion

Puls's corporate strategy is to offer customers and employees stability and reliability in extremely uncertain times. To ensure that this remains the case, Puls is investing time and resources worldwide. The further expansion of the European locations is a key element of this strategy.