Welcome at the ZKW Group. The specialist for innovative premium lighting systems and electronics. As a systems supplier, they are one of the leading strategic partners in the automotive industry worldwide. So they operate from Austria with about 9,700 employees in Europe, America and Asia. With flat hierarchies and short decision paths, they increase their efficiency.
The ZKW Group is a traditional company with an 80-year history. Karl Zizala founded ZKW in Vienna back in 1938. The brand’s name derives from his initials, plus a “W” to stand in for the Austrian capital (“Wien” = Vienna). The company was expanded in 1954 to include its current headquarters in Wieselburg.
The Mommert family took over the company in 1982. Although the company started out producing metal components for various motorcycle and truck manufacturers, it developed its specialization in innovative, premium lighting systems and electronics in the decades that followed. It produced its first standard car headlight in 1989, followed by its first truck headlight in 1995, and its first bend-lite headlight (AFS) went into production in 2005. In 2014, the first laser projector was installed and the LED matrix headlight followed.
As an industry leader, the ZKW Group employs a total of nearly 9,700 people at its locations in Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, China, India, Mexico, Korea and the USA.
In April 2018, ZKW was acquired 70% by LG Electronics and 30% by LG Corporation. On December 19, 2019, the rear lamp business of LG was integrated into the ZKW Group. In the course of this, ZKW Lighting Systems Korea Co., Ltd was founded and the plant which previously run by LG in Ningbo (CN) was taken over. The rear lamp business is another milestone in the development of a 360-degree offer for the automotive industry.
INTO THE FUTURE WITH INNOVATION
Research fascinates. It also drives development in the right direction. The result is innovation based on decades of experience – innovation that sets trends, instead of just following them. Their employees in the R&D department ensure that the key technologies of tomorrow match the needs of their customers today. Because research and development is always a process that has to keep moving, they move forward on both customer orders and on their own developments. And they do it all against the background of a corporate strategy that focuses on making complex products and processes even more safe and efficient.
To do so, the ZKW Group’s R&D department has one of the largest lighting channels in the world, and works with highly modern measurement technologies that assess prototypes and series production headlamps alike for their light output, light color, and homogeneity. They use it to continue working on innovative solutions that are the key to continually expanding their technological advantage – and their customers’ advantage as well.
VALUES
Be Bright
Engaged minds, an inventive spirit, and passion are key factors for success. Their customers all over the world benefit from their innovative capacity, paired with their common sense understanding and authentic quality.
Be Dynamic
Individual solutions demand flexibility, the courage to do something new, and the ability to take criticism. That’s why they focus on streamlined structures and continuous development.
Be Successful
Appreciation for their employees and their customers is at the center of everything they do. They conduct business and enjoy profitable growth based on this foundation.
COOPERATION AT TWELVE LOCATIONS
Global player from Austria: ZKW focuses on international networking
Around 12,000 kilometers. That’s how far it is from Silao in Mexico to Dalian in China. But the distance doesn’t separate the ZKW Group locations in those cities. The lighting manufacturer focuses on international networking and close cooperation between its twelve locations in eight countries. That’s how ZKW developed itself into a global player from Austria.
The lighting manufacturer’s home lighthouses are located in Wieselburg and Wiener Neustadt, with international locations as well in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, China, India, the USA, Korea and Mexico.
That reach helps ZKW be wherever its customers are: everywhere. That’s the ambitious vision of the company: “Pioneering, premium lighting and electronic systems for all mobility concepts in the global automotive industry.”
International development network
Each location supports the others on specific projects. They do so through regular strategy meetings and visits. Furthermore, video conferences and other technologies are used for digital networking. Communication and marketing concepts apply across locations, and best practice projects are exported.
Cultural differences are the spice of life
The ZKW Group sees cultural differences as the spice of life, and promotes intercultural exchange through specific grant programs. Chinese customs, Mexican traditions, and Austrian habits: The company’s roughly 9,700 employees receive comprehensive training for global collaboration.
This creates a worldwide sense of solidarity that supports the exchange of expertise. A global network with international opportunities for growth – to provide the right light, anywhere in the world.