DUSSELDORF, Germany Global vehicle interiors supplier International Automotive Components (IAC) today celebrated the grand opening of its European headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany. The new facility hosts the company’s European operations including the commercial and sales, design/engineering, procurement and administrative activities along with offices for the company’s European senior leadership team.
When IAC was established in 2006, the company had 11 facilities in seven countries in Europe. Today, IAC has 26 plants and five technical centers established throughout Europe, servicing passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2013, IAC recorded $2.2 billion in sales in Europe, marking its fourth consecutive year of growth.
Though its primary role will serve the European market, the new Dusseldorf location also plays an integral role in the global IAC organization, the company stated. For example, the program management teams work in partnership with other IAC regions to oversee global platform launches and ensure consistent standards for production on four continents for customers such as Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover. The design, development and engineering teams will work seamlessly with the other IAC technology centers around the world to provide in-house material development, product and process design and engineering, tooling and testing. FastKast, IAC’s proprietary slush molding technology in production in Europe and in China is a current example of the company’s vertical integration. Globally, IAC development activities focus on solutions to reduce weight and increase the use of renewable materials in vehicles while offering a superior driving experience.