Sauer-Danfoss: which political/economic factors would affect a manufacturer of hydraulic components?
Sauer-Danfoss (www.sauer-danfoss.com) is a comprehensive sub-supplier of mobile hydraulic solutions as either components or integrated systems to manufacturers of mobile equipment in agriculture, construction, material handling and road building, as well as specialty vehicles in forestry and on-highway.
With more than 6,000 employees and around 20 factories in North America, Europe and East Asia, Sauer-Danfoss is among the largest manufacturers and suppliers of mobile hydraulics in the world today. It has its principal business centres in Ames, Iowa (US), Neumünster (Germany) and Nordborg (Denmark).
QUESTIONS
1. Which political and economic factors in the global environment would have the biggest effect on the future global sales of Sauer-Danfoss hydraulic components/systems to:
(a) manufacturers of construction and mining equipment (e.g. Caterpillar)?
(b) manufacturers of agricultural machinery (e.g. John Deere)?
2. What are the biggest problems in forecasting future demand for a sub-supplier such as Sauer-Danfoss?