PALO ALTO, CA -- Frost & Sullivan has presented Proliance International with the 2006 Market Leadership of the Year Award.

The award is presented to a company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovation(s) that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change and competitive posture. The award recognizes the quality and depth of a company's research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.

Proliance received the award for its growth in terms of market share, revenue and innovation in the North American automotive heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) components aftermarket.

According to Frost & Sullivan, Proliance displays excellence in all areas of the market leadership process, comprising the identification of market challenges, drivers and restraints, along with exhibiting excellence in strategic development processes and addressing various market dynamics.

The latest research on the HVAC components aftermarket by Frost & Sullivan indicates that Proliance captured 17.6 percent of manufacturer-level revenues in 2005. This figure takes into account the company's output of radiators, compressors, condensers, heater cores, accumulators and receiver-dryers, evaporators and expansion valves.

As the automotive parts market witnesses a growing number of bankruptcies, Proliance continues to experience growth in market penetration and revenues, while its main competitors are shutting down their production lines and increasingly purchasing offshore replacement parts, said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Stephen Spivey.

In spite of the increasing commoditization of automotive replacement parts -- where most replacement companies focus on replicating the form, fit, and function of the original equipment (OE) -- Proliance strives for greater product superiority and degree of innovation, according to Spivey.

"Engineers at Proliance have identified flaws in OE components and are actively working on fixing them," noted Spivey. "For instance, the company's staff of 25 design and application engineers is currently working on improvements to single-row radiators that have failed in some new pickup truck models."

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