Husqvarna gets new R&D facility
The Husqvarna brand will enter a new phase of life under the BMW group as the German automaker’s fourth brand. There’s even a new Husqvarna section in BMW’s Pressclub site alongside the BMW, MINI and Motorrad brands now. We’ll probably see much more from them from now on – the first step is to develop new appealing products, right?
It recently opened a new R&D and administrative building, which will provide product development with the best possible support and permit optimum integration of all the functional units involved in the manufacturing processes for the entire range of Husqvarna products.
The new building has three floors and has been built as an addition to the company’s head office at Via Nino Bixio 8. The ground floor houses the engine R&D department and roller dyno facilities, along with the prototype workshop, the racing division and a technical training centre.
The first floor is where the R&D department is located, although the purchasing and market research departments are also on this floor. This is intentional – the people from all three departments have to meet often to meet a balance between functionality, quality and cost, both within the company and with suppliers.
The building is also ‘green’ in the sense htat energy for the hot water supply is provided by the solar panels fitted to the building’s roof. This is all part of BMW’s EfficientDynamics plan. There is also a public area in the front of the new building which has a Husqvarna showroom.
September 28, 2009 @ 7:46 am
Thanks Paul, for the interesting report !
Although Husqvarna is known in Malaysia mainly as a chainsaw manufacturer, for ‘Hardcore’ Offroad fans this are great news. Finally some competition to KTM…
BTW: Husquvarna Motorcycles, producing motorcycles since 1903, was Swedish and was bought in the 80s by Cagiva from Italy. In July 2007, Husqvarna was purchased by BMW for a reported 93 million euros. Husqvarna chainsaws are a seperate company btw, not included in that deal.
Possibly BMW can use the Husqvarna brand to sell some products which are too sporty or too strange for the common BMW customer ? How about a supercub ?
September 28, 2009 @ 9:27 am
Mohd said,
September 28, 2009 @ 7:46 am
Although Husqvarna is known in Malaysia mainly as a chainsaw manufacturer, for ‘Hardcore’ Offroad fans this are great news. Finally some competition to KTM…
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And what most Malaysians probably didn’t know is that Husqvarna was once part of MV Agusta…when they were owned by Proton.
September 28, 2009 @ 11:26 pm
the same brand/company that proton sold for a song after taking ownership for slightly over a year is today accorded a home and sound business direction at bmw. how sad is that.
talk about missing the boat bigtime.
then again, we will never know the real story will we.
September 30, 2009 @ 11:23 am
MOMOS is the holder for Husqvarna brand in Malaysia but they are not keen to import the bikes. I’d love to have my hands on their supermotos.