VDL Bus Roeselare, the new Flemish production facility of VDL Bus & Coach, was officially opened today, Wednesday 10 April. In addition to the 27,000m2 production facility, this also launches the workshop, warehouse, and offices of VDL Bus Roeselare and VDL Bus & Coach Belgium nv.

The year 2023 showed us two sides, with highs and lows. Low points were the passing of Wim van der Leegte in November, the reduction in the number of employees at VDL Nedcar and headwind in the Buses & Coaches division. Due to incidental costs in the Car Assembly and operational headwinds at the Buses division, the results of the industrial family business with head office in Eindhoven fell. Highlights were the record turnover in the year that VDL Groep celebrated its 70th anniversary and the implementation of the ambitious investment programme facilitating clients in the growth markets of VDL.

VDL ETG, the high-tech cluster of VDL Groep, during the Dutch trade mission in Vietnam, ratified a cooperation with Frasers Property for the construction of a new facility in Vietnam. Construction of the new VDL factory in the northeast of Vietnam will start soon. The schedule is for the first modules to leave the new plant to supply international customers by the end of the first quarter, beginning of the second quarter of 2025.

VDL Castings Heerlen plans to phase out operations and cease business activities over the course of 2024. To this effect, a request for advice has been submitted to the Works Council. The employees, unions and Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) have been informed. All of the 140 employees of VDL Groep iron foundry, including approximately 115 permanent staff, will be laid off. The intention is to help them transition from employment to employment, either within a VDL Groep sister company or otherwise. VDL is exploring other activities for the site of VDL Castings Heerlen.

VDL Groep has strengthened its position in the high-quality electronics market. The industrial family business with its head office in Eindhoven has acquired Rena Electronica from Zundert. Rena Electronica develops and produces electronics, among others for LED products, in different markets. As a result of this acquisition, VDL particularly sees synergy benefits with VDL TBP Electronics, the subsidiary based in Dirksland and Eindhoven, which specialises in the assembly of high-quality electronics, so-called printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), circuit boards with electronic components.

On Saturday afternoon, over 1,100 guests gathered to say goodbye to Wim van der Leegte. 300 guests attended the funeral in Het Duysels Huys, the church in Duizel which Wim van der Leegte bought two years ago and made available to the local community.

As previously announced, due to the planned production stop for BMW Group and the inability to find direct connection with other automotive projects, VDL Nedcar in Born is forced to cut jobs by 1 March 2024. The formal request for advice on this was submitted to the Works Council (OR). Parallel to this, VDL Nedcar, VDL Groep’s car factory, continues to work on new vehicle projects.

In the hunt for their 25th national championship, PSV will have a brand new team coach to transport the Eindhoveners to their matches starting with the 2019/2020 season. The deluxe 13.9-metre long Futura was presented to Kupers Touringcars today and at the same time officially presented to PSV's supporters, players and staff. 30 supporters, the lucky winners of a special PSV contest, picked up the vehicle at VDL Bus & Coach in Valkenswaard. The team coach was officially presented to players and staff at the Herdgang, PSV's training complex.

VDL Groep has won the 2019 Dutch Innovation Award. This award is a recognition of the innovative strength and social impact of this family company, which has its head office in Eindhoven. VDL was awarded the innovation award for its new pioneering solutions and technologies, its focus on its employees, entrepreneurship and cooperation. The 2019 Dutch Innovation Award will be presented during De Wereld van Morgen, the TV programme being broadcast on AVROTROS this evening from 8.30 pm on NPO1.

Public transport in Limburg (The Netherlands) must be fully electric by 2026. This goal of the Province of Limburg is now yet another step closer. With the delivery of 55 electric regional buses, VDL Bus & Coach is working with transport company Arriva on the transition towards zero-emission bus transport.

The DAF CF Electric VDL E-Power has been voted Green Truck Logistics Solution 2019. On the eve of the Transport Logistic trade fair in Munich, leading German trade magazines VerkehrsRundschau and TRUCKER also praise container carrier Contargo for being the first in Germany to commission DAF's CF Electric VDL E-Power. The two fully electrified field-test trucks are transporting containers in the inland port of Duisburg. The Green Truck Logistics Solution Award is a prestigious award for the deployment of promising emerging technologies for innovative, sustainable logistics in Europe.

PSV will join forces with some big Dutch companies next summer to start an innovative co-operation. ASML, Philips, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, VDL Group and Jumbo Supermarkets will commit themselves as premium partners of PSV under the name of Metropolitan Region Brainport Eindhoven. They will collaborate in the field of innovation, vitality, entertainment, development and recruitment of talent. All parties share the ambition to put the Eindhoven region on the map as global leader in knowledge, high-tech development and innovation. “This is a first in the history of top sport. We will create a new ecosystem and the way we will do it is characteristic of the interconnection in this region”, says PSV General Manager Toon Gerbrands.

VDL ETG has won a major contract. For Zeiss, VDL ETG will build frames that assure the precise suspension and positioning of the mirrors produced by this southern German high-tech player. These mirrors form and direct the beam of light in the next generation of ASML's EUV machines. The frames will be built at VDL ETG Almelo and VDL ETG Switzerland.