Supporting Reliable Movement of People and Goods
The ability to move people and goods from place to place has long been essential to human progress. Since the advent of the horseless carriage, The Dow Chemical Company has been among the innovators helping to support and advance the transportation industry. In line with that tradition, Dow Automotive, a market-facing business of The Dow Chemical Company, has recently formed a dedicated team of experts that will focus exclusively on the interests of manufacturers serving the commercial transportation market.
“Helping to solve challenging issues that are driven by regulatory compliance and end-user preferences will be the mission of the newly created Commercial Transportation Group,” says Dagmar van Heur, Managing Director of the Commercial Transportation Group at Dow Automotive. “Vehicle manufacturers know that one of the best routes to a successful bottom line is to care about anticipating and delivering what users and regulatory agencies want – safety, fuel efficiency, emissions control and long service life. Our team can engage with customers during the earliest stages of product development to identify and optimize solutions that address these specific attributes.”
New Solutions, Proven Products
Supported by Dow’s Material Engineering Centre (MEC) and engineers and researchers based all around the world, the Commercial Transportation Group will be developing new, custom-tailored solutions as well as tapping into Dow Automotive’s proven products, technologies and services that can be leveraged into this growing market. Target application areas will include: interior and exterior composite paneling, seating foams and components, diesel particulate filters and structural adhesives for glass, plastic and metal bonding.
Global bus and truck production will be the initial emphasis for what will naturally expand, in time, to include recreational vehicles, agricultural equipment, passenger railcars and marine. While the creation of the group seemed a natural fit given Dow Automotive’s experience, the decision was made based on intensive study of the specific needs of the commercial transportation industry and for the potential to contribute to corporate earnings.
Meeting Customer Needs
“We knew going into this that there are significant differences in customer needs between the automotive and commercial transportation markets,” van Heur says. “For instance, vehicle production methods are different than automotive. You’re dealing with fewer parts, but these parts are structurally much larger than similar parts designed for cars. However, this and other differences really create the opportunity for customization versus commoditization. That’s a great value proposition for Dow and for our customers.”
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An average of 10 percent annual growth for the first few years is the ambitious target the Commercial Transportation Group has set for itself. Fortunately, the current, unprecedented upheaval in the automotive industry is felt to a lesser degree in several commercial transportation segments. “We have the ability to help the commercial transportation industry build vehicles that are more durable, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. And, we have the global representation and support that will allow us to provide quick and reliable responses,” states van Heur. “That’s a promising formula for success.”
