A LEADING automobile technology company in Germany has faith that Thailand will rebound from the economic downturn that saw the local auto industry experience a continued drop.

"I am very confident in Thailand, which has been one of the world's productive economies," Rudi von Meister, president of ZF Friedrichshafen Asia-Pacific, said last week.

He said he has witnessed tremendous progress and development in Thailand over the past decades.

Von Meister's first visit to Thailand was in 1981 and there have been many more visits since then. Thailand's industrial base has been strong although it has been through tough times. ZF is a leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology. The firm that acquired TRW Automotive of the United States in May now employs about 134,000 staff globally and is represented at about 230 locations in 40 countries, including Thailand. It is one in the top three auto suppliers worldwide. The company and TRW Automotive achieved sales of more than 30 billion euros (Bt1.1 trillion) last year.

ZF (Thailand) in Bangkok serves as a strategic location that enables ZF to provide fast and efficient support to its customers across the country. It is a supplier of low-floor technology to major bus body manufacturers such as Cherdchai. It also provides ZF's Ecomat transmissions to the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority via carmakers including Isuzu, Hino, Mercedes-Benz and Daewoo.

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