Many companies like to emphasise how important Germany is to them as a business location. Sonax has literally put its money where its mouth is: the vehicle care specialist from Neuburg an der Donau set the course for the future back in 2022 with the launch of a new logistics centre on the outskirts of the town. Now comes the next step — a new, state-of-the-art production facility at the Oberhausen site, which is located in Bavaria, just a few kilometres from Neuburg, and should not be confused with the town of the same name in the Ruhr region. In total, the company is investing around 70 million euros in the site.
For the commercial vehicle sector, this is more than just a footnote. This is because, alongside the expansion of its logistics and production operations, Sonax is refining its service offering: TCO analyses, operational analyses and seminars address the very areas where haulage firms, garages and bus companies lose time and money on a daily basis – vehicle cleaning and maintenance.
The crux of the investment: the close integration of logistics and production enables more efficient, shorter routes. The additional capacity ensures an even more reliable supply to all markets, even during seasonal peaks, thereby strengthening the foundation for further growth in Europe and worldwide.
A clear commitment to Germany as a business location
Alltrucks’ industry partner, Sonax, has been renowned for its cleaning and care products for over 75 years. With its logistics centre, the owner-managed family business has laid the foundations; the new production facility in Oberhausen is now expanding capacity and strengthening the basis for international growth. Production will gradually be equipped with several filling lines and then expanded further.
„The start-up of production in Oberhausen is a key step in our ongoing development. This will enable us to put in place the structural foundations needed to sustain our growth and further expand our international presence.“— Manfred Hoffmann, managing partner of Sonax GmbH
Logistics and production: the figures behind the expansion
The logistics facility, which has been in operation since 2022, covers an area of around 22,500 square metres, with nearly 25,000 storage spaces and a total volume of around 318,000 cubic metres. It is complemented by new production areas covering around 5,000 square metres.
Technical facilities such as 24 stainless-steel tanks with a total capacity of around 1.2 million litres for liquid raw materials and blends offer significant potential for growth. Short distances between the warehouse and the bottling plant ensure that the goods reach their destination more quickly — even when demand spikes seasonally.
However, for Sonax, being able to reliably supply high-quality products is only half the story. The family-run business is committed to offering the commercial vehicle sector a full-service package with services tailored to its needs — delivering significant added value for all involved. Three key elements are particularly relevant for garages and their customers:
TCO analysis: an overview of the total cost of vehicle maintenance
One of these services is a professional analysis of total cost of ownership ‚Total Cost of Ownership‘, or TCO for short. Put simply, this analysis assesses all aspects of vehicle cleaning and maintenance and highlights specific potential savings for the customer.
These opportunities not only deliver short-term savings on procurement but also lead to long-term cost reductions: for example, through lower consumption achieved by optimising the settings of car wash systems or by streamlining work processes in the interior and exterior maintenance of commercial vehicles. Such a holistic approach enables the fleet’s value to be better maintained overall; and, last but not least, this approach contributes to the fleet’s immaculate appearance. Incidentally, the magazine article on Cleaning the interior of lorries with Sonax.
Business analyses: the be-all and end-all
Sonax also offers operational analyses. As part of this, the experts examine the current work processes on site: Are there valid operating instructions in place? Are data sheets available, and is the proper condition of the oil separator documented? The Sonax experts examine these and other aspects and provide the haulage contractor or workshop manager with recommendations for improving processes, particularly with a view to optimising working time and costs – because, as we all know, time is money.
Observing work processes on site
The Sonax experts are taking a look at the current vehicle cleaning and care procedures directly on site.
Check the documentation
Are there valid operating instructions in place? Are data sheets available? Is the oil separator’s condition properly documented?
Derive recommendations for action
Freight forwarders and workshop managers receive specific recommendations for improving processes, with a focus on optimising working hours and costs.
The service is available for fleets of 30 or more commercial vehicles. „As a rule, simply by taking a critical look at operational processes, we can reduce the time required – and thus the costs – for vehicle cleaning and maintenance in over 90 per cent of cases,“ says Andreas Buchholz, Sales Manager for Automotive Technology at Sonax, describing the approach. For some of Sonax’s major customers — haulage companies with a few hundred vehicles — the field service team was able to realise potential savings of 25 to 30 per cent simply by improving application techniques and optimising product consumption.
Today, the Sonax team is in dialogue with haulage firms, garages and bus companies across the board to offer and carry out such analyses. „Our experience shows that vehicle cleaning products are not necessarily a priority for many buyers. As classic C-line items, cleaning products have significantly lower purchase costs compared to tools or spare parts,“ the sales manager continued. „For any business owner, the operational analysis is therefore a definite plus, as it saves them money.“
It would be a complete mistake to opt for „cheap“ cleaning products. When used and dosed correctly, the supposedly more expensive, higher-quality cleaners usually turn out to be real money-savers.
Basic seminars on optimal commercial vehicle maintenance
Since 2021, Sonax has been offering so-called Basic seminars specifically for the cleaning of commercial vehicles and buses . The up to four participants at each on-site event will be taught by the Sonax experts acting as facilitators all the necessary basic knowledge and working techniques required for optimal vehicle cleaning and the correct use of the professional products.
„It would definitely be wrong to refer to these simply as ‚car wash seminars’, because many mistakes can be made when cleaning a vehicle simply through incorrect dosing and application. And this costs time and money. Sonax is therefore keen to optimise the washing process to such an extent that it offers the user the greatest benefit – and thus the greatest return – and that the costs incurred for the seminar are recouped within a short space of time.“— Andreas Buchholz, Sales Manager for Automotive Technology at Sonax
Background: what this means for garages and fleets
Sonax is no stranger to Alltrucks magazine: we have already looked at how to look after the driver’s cab properly. The expansion in Oberhausen now reveals the foundation behind it all: a family-run business that is investing in production and logistics in Germany and ensuring it can meet demand even during seasonal peaks.
For the more than 650 partner garages in the Alltrucks network across 18 countries and their fleet customers, services are a particularly important lever. Anyone managing a fleet of 30 or more commercial vehicles can use an operational analysis to put their own cleaning and maintenance processes to the test; in over 90 per cent of cases, this results in measurable cost savings. And for those who handle vehicle maintenance in-house, the Basic seminars offer a concise introduction which, according to Sonax, pays for itself in no time. As we all know, time is money — and when it comes to vehicle maintenance, that’s doubly true.
Are you not yet a Sonax customer and would like to find out more about our terms and conditions and range of services? Please speak to your Alltrucks systems consultant about this straight away.