Opening & successful project review: Relocation of Romanian component production to Herschbach
What still felt like an endurance test in January 2025 is now a milestone that we are proud to celebrate: our Herschbach site launched the production of fuel and water pumps end of 2025. This is the result of months of intensive teamwork under enormous time pressure. It all began with the news that our long-standing partner in Romania was discontinuing the business with these components. For series production on line 5 in Cologne-Porz and for service, these parts are indispensable, and without a quick solution, DEUTZ would have faced a high risk of lost sales.
Make or buy? Within just a few days, DEUTZ set up a cross-functional core team comprising members from Supply Chain Management, Purchasing and Production. The decision was clear: Make – production would take place at the Herschbach site in future. An agreement with the partner also provided training opportunities for the DEUTZ workforce.
In just nine weeks, the project team integrated 28 new suppliers from the supplier network and familiarized itself with all relevant production processes on site within a few days. The fuel pump production line was even relocated from Romania to Herschbach four weeks ahead of schedule – including machines, remaining stock, and tools – and after just three days, the first pump “Made in Herschbach” rolled off the production line. The successful relocation of the water pump line followed in July 2025.
Production in Herschbach is faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective than it was previously at the supplier's site. In addition, quality and organization on the line have improved noticeably, material flow has been optimized, and the use of disposable packaging has been reduced.
The success of the project shows how strong and flexible DEUTZ can be when it matters—from the initial idea to implementation in record time.
