Bosch is a globally leading supplier of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In 2006, Bosch Group sales worldwide came to 43.7 billion euros. Of this figure, 74 percent was generated outside Germany. At the beginning of 2007, the Bosch Group employed some 261,000 associates – roughly 10,000 more than a year previously. At some 110,000, the number of associates in Germany remained nearly constant.