Trelleborg Automotive forms Alliance with Tokai rubber
Trelleborg Automotive forms Alliance with Tokai rubber Trelleborg Automotive, the market leader for automotive antivibration systems (with a world market share of approximately 20 %), has entered into a co-operation agreement to form an alliance with Tokai Rubber Industries, the leading Japanese supplier of automotive non-tire rubber components (Tokai's world market share in AVS is approximately 11 %). The Alliance has been formed in response to vehicle manufacturers' growing needs for a well co-ordinated global supply base offering consistent levels of performance and quality. Tokai Industries and Trelleborg's latest acquired company Laird Automotive Components (LAC) already had an agreement concerning the joint development of antivibration components for the new Renault Nissan B car. Trelleborg Automotive now wishes to develop this Alliance further. Trelleborg Automotive will act as Tokai's marketing, development and production base in Europe and South America. Tokai will offer reciprocal services in Japan and Thailand. The co-operation agreement does not yet extend to the North American market, both parties are however in discussion regarding this region. - The alliance offers the best solution for all stakeholders, says George Caplea, President Trelleborg Automotive. Customers will benefit from a truly international organisation, capable of supplying systems and components for global platforms from a world-wide network of production bases. Joint research and development projects will lead to shared technology and knowledge transfer. Trelleborg Automotive is headquartered in South Haven, Michigan USA, and has manufacturing plants throughout the USA, Mexico, South America, Europe, Turkey, India and China. Tokai has plants in Japan, Thailand, China, Poland and the USA. The alliance will take effect at the beginning of March 2001. For further information, please contact: Mikael Byström, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Tel: +46-410-670 00, Mobile +46-708- 55 21 69 or Mikael Sjöblom, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Tel: +46-410-670 94, Mobile +46-708-55 21 30. Trelleborg Automotive is one of four business areas within the Trelleborg Group. The business area is the world leading supplier of antivibration systems to the automotive industry. The business area also includes other products for the automotive industry such as fluid systems, boots and antivibration sysemts for industrial purposes. Production facilities are located in USA, Mexico, South America, Europe, Turkey, India and China. Trelleborg Automotive has about 8,500 employees and sales of approximately SEK 9,000 M. Trelleborg is a global industrial group. Operations are based on spearhead competence within polymer materials and a high level of industrial know- how, with functional solutions and systems designed to meet the needs of our customers. Trelleborg AB has sales of SEK 16.5 billion (pro forma 2000, including the acquisition of LAC) and has about 15,500 employees in 40 countries. The Trelleborg Group is organized in four business areas - Trelleborg Automotive, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Trelleborg Engineered Systems and Trelleborg Building Systems. The Trelleborg share has been quoted on the A List of the OM Stockholm Exchange since 1964. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/28/20010228BIT00950/bit0002.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/28/20010228BIT00950/bit0002.pdf