FRANKFURT, Germany -- Tenneco says it is capturing new growth thanks to a full suite of emission and ride control technologies and a manufacturing and engineering presence that spans the world.

The company said it has recently launched business with Ford, Toyota and Nissan on important global vehicle platform launches in key regions around the world, including in fast-growing markets such as China, India and Thailand.

“We’re moving quickly in these dynamic markets to establish new manufacturing facilities and enhance our engineering capabilities to continue supporting the needs of our customers,” said Josep Fornos, Tenneco senior vice president, Europe, South America and India. “Our strong presence in these markets is driving incremental business with customers looking for suppliers who can serve global vehicle platforms in multiple regions.”

Tenneco is currently in production on 14 global vehicle platforms. The shift toward global platforms benefits both the vehicle manufacturer as well as the supplier, with increased leverage in material sourcing, reduced investments in tooling and savings associated with global engineering development.

Tenneco has made capital investments to support future growth in China, including five newly added or expanded existing facilities within the past year. Plans are also in place to relocate and expand two additional plants by the end of 2011.

Tenneco’s investments in emerging markets have also extended to India and Thailand. In India, the company opened a new manufacturing facility in Chennai, marking its seventh manufacturing operation there. Tenneco also expanded its presence in Thailand with the opening of a new ride control plant in Bangkok to support Nissan’s small car global platform.

Underpinning this growth is Tenneco’s advanced technology and engineering expertise, most evident in the company’s emission control business, where increasingly stringent emissions standards worldwide continue to generate new business opportunities, the company says.

“Tenneco is extremely well-positioned in the emission control market, guided by a roadmap aligning our technology development and commercialization with the mobile emissions regulatory timeline. As a result, we are bringing to market the right solutions at the right times to meet our customers’ needs,” said Tim Jackson, Tenneco chief technology officer.

“We also see growth in our ride control business with our wide range of technologies including our innovative electronic suspension systems that balance the compromise between performance, comfort, ride and handling,” Jackson said.

Tenneco says demand for the company's Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension system (CES) continues to increase, with the system now available on 36 vehicle models by the end of 2011. Also in development is DRiV Digital Valve, which offers many of the benefits of the CES suspension but targeted to a broader vehicle market with a lower total system cost.

The company has combined the CES system with another of its advanced ride control technologies -- Kinetic -- to develop Tenneco’s Kinetic H2/CES Semi-Active Suspension System, which earned Tenneco the distinction of 2011 Supplier of the Year by Vehicle Dynamics International magazine.