Bosch, a leader in automotive aftermarket, will open 53 car and diesel service centres across Maghreb, Levant, and Middle East countries, and has plans to launch 13 more express car service centres this year, a top official said.

“So far in 2013, we have already received a further 44 participants to undergo diesel training. With the new service centres, there will be plenty of opportunities for the qualified mechanics to find work once they have finished their training with us,” added Guido Gring, vice president at Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, Middle East & Africa.

Gring hailed 2013 as one of the biggest and brightest years in the history of the company, which has marked several key anniversaries throughout the year.

“Bosch Automotive Aftermarket had a strong 2012 in the Middle East and Africa region, and this has set us on course for even more success in 2013; we are already well on our way to eclipsing the double digit sales growth witnessed last year,” said Gring, who was speaking today during a media briefing session at the dedicated Bosch Training Centre at the Dubai Airport Freezone.

“This year in particular is very important for us. In the first quarter of 2013, we have commemorated important anniversary milestones, celebrated global awards, and highlighted new innovations that further underline our status as a world leader in automotive aftermarket technology.

“The 111 year anniversary of Bosch Spark Plugs is the first in a long line of remarkable achievements for the company this year.  Since 1902, we have produced more than 11 billion of 20,000 different types of spark plugs, used by almost every vehicle manufacturer in the world, and most probably used in the same car that you drive today.

“We celebrate 100 years of Bosch generators in 2013 – generators that today provide all the energy a car needs, powering a multitude of electrical systems that make cars cleaner and more efficient, while improving safety and comfort,” he added.

“We were voted the best brand in several categories by more than 200,000 readers of the two most popular German automotive magazines, ‘Auto, Motor, und Sport’, and ‘Auto Bild’, while we were also recently honoured by the BMW Group with the ‘BMW Supplier Innovation Award’ and the Toyota Motoring Company with the ‘Global Contribution Award’ – an award recognising our continuous improvement activities and collaboration with Toyota on a global level,” Gring continued.

He said that the company has aggressive expansion plans ongoing throughout the Mena region, paying tribute to the dedicated Bosch Training Centre in Dubai, which since opening in 2006, has trained 1,117 certified diesel and petrol mechanics and automotive technicians.

“Many of these mechanics and technicians have gone on to work at one of the 209 dedicated Bosch Automotive Aftermarket service stations across the Mena region, and our continuous revenue growth and expansion is in no small part thanks to the large investment we have made into our dedicated Bosch training facility here in Dubai,” Gring added. – TradeArabia News Service