PROTON ENGINEERING

Koenigsegg and Proton Engineering have collaborated before, for example on Koenigsegg prototypes. This time the collaboration is about serial manufacturing, albeit in much shorter series than Proton Engineering usually delivers to major truck manufacturers like Volvo and Scania.

Last spring, Koenigsegg visited Proton Engineering in Skillingaryd, and before the partnership was up and running Proton Engineering’s development team got to visit Koenigsegg’s manufacturing site in Ängelholm as well.

“The cars are extremely cool, but personally I think the Koenigsegg factory was unbelievable,” says Proton Engineering’s sales manager Iosif Hampel. “They don’t have traditional production lines, just a few work stations where each car is assembled one by one, with supreme precision. It’s automotive craft of a whole different level, and we’re very proud to be a part of meeting their needs with our own expertise.”

A matter of prestige

No matter who the customer is, whether it is a major truck manufacturer ordering giant volumes or an exclusive sports car maker that produces such short series that can be counted on the fingers of one hand, every relationship is based on trust, Iosif says.

“We are entering into a partnership, where we are contributing our expertise in tube bending, end forming, welding and surface treatment. It’s a matter of professional pride on both sides. Koenigsegg’s designers are incredibly skilled and have clear demands and standards. What we can contribute is suggestions for materials and manufacturing that don’t affect the design, but make the features better. If we can create an even more clever design by welding in a different way – that’s where our skills make a difference.”

And of course it’s also a matter of prestige.

“Having the faith of a premium brand like Koenigsegg and working with this type of vehicle is a boon to the Proton Engineering brand and opens the door to other customers. But the most important thing of all is the inspiration! We’re incredibly impressed by the way Koenigsegg operates. Seeing their production is super cool. Or maybe I should say mega cool!” Iosif laughs.

Last spring Koenigsegg announced that they plan to further expand their factory for production of the four-seater model, Gemera. The architecture will be inspired by the accordion design of Swedish industries of old, with high ceilings and lots of daylight, but a futuristic feel with adaptations to meet the development, production and marketing needs of the future. It will feature a customer lounge, showroom, assembly lines and warehouse, as well as room to grow.

“Fun together”

But what does it take to be chosen as a Koenigsegg supplier? You have to be flexible and a good communicator, says Shino Lövstad Waldegren. And you have to be super professional at what you do:

“We want suppliers who can offer us top-flight expertise in their field of technology, who can inspire us to even better solutions. Then, of course you have to have the ability to deliver, even if we’re not talking about mass production. Flexibility is just as important to us, because we want the freedom to make changes throughout the process.

“Our partnership with Proton Engineering has been characterised by a mutual exchange of knowledge that I know we both appreciate,” Shino continues. “We understand each other!

“We truly feel that Proton Engineering enjoys doing business with us and contributing to developing our processes.

Koenigsegg is a premium brand that is known internationally for its mega cars –I’m personally very proud to be a part of that success story, and I can tell that Proton Engineering’s staff are too. Our partnership is a model of positivity and we truly have fun together.”

Do you drive a Koenigsegg in your job?

“Ha ha, no, I don’t. But we have a strong corporate culture and we all feel very involved in the brand. Every summer we have an event just for employees and their families, when we all get to see and experience our cars.”