dec-2017

192 193 strategy.“Weworkwiththeautomakers topromote the brand,adjustingthebrandimagetothevehicleimage,add- ing value to the automaker and enabling a better sales performancewith the final customer,”says Kniest. Unlike competitors,Harman is considered a Brand House. “We have JBL®,with a strong presence in the market among young people; Harman Kardon®,with a more refined and elegant aestheticdesign for sophis- ticated clients; theAKG®,of Austrian origin,strongly linked tomusicians,among several other brands,”ex- emplifies Kniest.Each group has a line of products and services differentiated according to its lifestyle,which greatlyvalues ​the brandwith automakers according to itsmarketing strategy.“We are one of the fewcom- panies in the world that offer different brands to different groups,”says Kniest. With increasing revenue,growing steadily,andwith three of the four divisions accounting for one-third of revenue from the operation of Harman Brazil,the fu- ture prospects are the best possible.Over the next five years,the companyplans to invest in the ​Connected Service area,with complete or partial software and ap- plication solutions.“We are structuring the company to develop the Connected Service,confident that this will also enhance the other three divisions,”notes Kniest. The company invests inmicro service as a vertical with the best future growth potential and keeps invest- ments in the three oldest divisions designed to serve the Brazilianmarket. With solidwork in the automotive audio industry,the Connected Car division is on a high level of consolida- tionwith the customers.On the other hand,the Con- nected Services will provide services and applications to a larger clientele,anytime and anywhere.“We be- lieve that 90%of the innovations will be related to the software,to the cloud and to the technologies that we HARMAN BRAZIL aremaking available,”says Sakai.Thus,Harman Brazil intends to expand its team,giving an opportunity for newtalents interested in software and novelty. n Tramontina www.tramontina.com Despite being known for its kitchen appliances & tools,Tra- montina has been expanding its reach to different industry sectors. Since 2000, its Techno-Parts Division has been dedicated to supplying cast aluminum components for, amongst others,Harman Brazil’s high-end speakers. Their factory also produces compo- nents for other sub-sectors of the automotive industry, such as fuel pumps, clutch cylinders, and power steering. n Summer www.summer.com/br n Supergauss www.supergauss.com.br n Forte Plastics www.plasticoforte.com.br PREFERRED VENDORS