Bentley and Dacia, more similar than expected

While many carmakers have chosen to drop some of their operations and even move factories from developed countries to Eastern Europe, Bentley, a premium brand that belongs to the Volkswagen group, has preserved its “base” at a plant in Crewe, a town with less than 100,000 inhabitants in North-West England, writes Business Magazin weekly. At a time when automated machinery is used extensively and the car industry permanently faces cost cuts, some manufacturers found a lucrative answer, that is to employ people, rather than machines. At a first glance, Dacia and Bentley would appear to have nothing in common, however, both brands are going through the best period in their histories. The two companies are among the most profitable carmakers in the world, with operating profit margins of 8% and 11% respectively last year. The plants that the two manufacturers have in Mioveni and Crewe are among the main revenue sources for the inhabitants of the two towns in Romania and England. Additionally, both plants decided not to use industrial robots to assemble cars, but rely almost exclusively on the skills of their employees.